


The Red Paladins

by klancerlover



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: #, #Keth meets his mom, #SO MUCH ANGST, #angst, #fiances who are separated, #fluff, #keith left a surprise for lance, #more flashbacks too, #space whales, #this starts with S6 and goes into S7 as it progresses, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-25 15:49:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 40
Words: 92,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17124245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klancerlover/pseuds/klancerlover
Summary: Following Keith’s departure, Lance has to figure out how to be without him. And keith in return.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yo it’s Kyra again. Get ready for another ride!
> 
> Guys, this is the sequel to the Multi-Shooter! I just don’t know how ao3 works cause I’m still new haha

White noise filled Lance’s head as he stared at the screen in front of him.  _ Had he heard Allura right?  _ He didn’t realize it, but he was violently trembling. Shiro instantly came to him, alarmed. “Oh no. Lance? Lance. Hey, hey, calm down. Calm down, it’s okay.” He said urgently. Lance was breathing crazily, unable to take his eyes off the screen. “No...no…no…” he whispered. “Lance.  _ Lance, breathe. Breathe, you have to breathe.”  _ Shiro said, his hands on his shoulders. “He...he’s gone…He… No...no, he can’t be gone…” Lance collapsed to the floor, still breathing too quickly. “Oh my god,  _ Lance.”  _ Shiro said in alarm, kneeling beside him. “ _ Breathe. Hey, listen to me. Breathe. Breathe...It’s okay. You’re going to be fine, I promise.”  _ Keith’s gentle, soothing voice suddenly entered his mind.

   When Lance’s hands had been damaged, he had panicked so badly, afraid he would never use them again. Keith had grabbed him, calming him, grounding him. Slowly, but surely, Lance’s breathing eased a bit. “There we go. I know you’re scared, but he’s okay.” Shiro said. “Where-where did he go? Why did he leave?” Lance asked, distressed. Shiro sighed, “I thought he would talk to you about this. Maybe he didn’t want to make it any harder. It did hit him pretty hard.” He said quietly, “When you guys came back to the Castle, Kolivan contacted me. He said he needed to speak to Keith. So when the time was right-“ Lance cut him off. “You took him to speak to him.” He whispered in realization. 

“He needs Keith for a mission...doesn't he?” He then asked softly. 

“More like an  _ incomplete _ mission. Keith needs to finish it, and then he can come back. Kolivan assured me he wouldn’t be gone for long.” Shiro said. “Why Keith? Why not someone else?” Lance asked. “It’s  _ his  _ mission, Kolivan told me so himself.” Shiro said gently. “Why couldn’t he tell me? Why?” Lance asked softly. “I’m sure he did it so to protect you, Lance. He was very strongly against leaving you until Kolivan said that he wouldn’t be gone long. I’m sure it was very hard for him to leave you.” Shiro said. It hurt. Not just because Lance hadn’t hugged Keith and warned him to be careful. It wasn’t just that Lance hadn’t whispered to him that he loved him so much and wanted him to come back in one piece, unhurt. It wasn’t just that Lance hadn’t gotten to say goodbye.  _ They were apart again.  _

_  That was why Keith had been rambling about how Lance was his everything. He  _ _ had _ _ been saying goodbye to him.  _ Tears stung Lance’s eyes as his heart twisted, and he dropped his head, “It’s for the quintessence he and Kolivan were looking for, isn’t it?” He asked softly, voice slightly shaking. “Yeah. Lance, you know Keith. He’ll be fine.” Shiro said. “Keith’s reckless and impulsive!” Lance suddenly blurted out. He got up, staring at the screen. Then he narrowed his eyes, his mouth pulling back into a snarl. “If  _ anything happens to him...if he gets hurt…I’m going to put a bullet through each and everyone of those Marmorians.”  _ He growled darkly. He was furious, upset, scared.  _ Stupid Red idiot.  _ Lance didn’t know what on Earth he was going to do with him when he came back _.  _ Firstly he was going to kill him, that was for sure. 

He was going to kill him for having scared him like that, not leaving any letter or anything. 

He honestly thought something bad had happened to him. “There’s something that’s troubling me, though.” Allura said. Lance looked at her, frowning. “The Castle usually signals when a pod is leaving, but this time, it didn’t.” Allura said. “That’s not the first time that’s happened.” Shiro pointed out. Lance softly sighed, “He did that on purpose. He didn’t want us to know he left ‘till the morning. Cut off communications with the Castle. That’s what we did with Red when we agreed to stay away from you guys.” He said. “So we have no way to contact him?” Hunk asked. 

  For some reason, Lance thought back to when Keith was with the Blade of Marmora, working with them.  _ Their secret comms.  _ “Maybe you guys don’t. But  _ I  _ do.” Lance said. He then walked out, going to the place where he and Keith used to have their late night conversations. He sat in his chair, though found that he wasn’t used to sitting in it after so long. He shifted in it before opening the link, waiting for Keith to come up on the screen. “C’mon. C’mon, I know you’re there, I know you’re there. Pick up.” Lance whispered softly, almost pleading. He wanted to tell Keith that he understood. He understood why Keith left. Why he needed to finish the mission. He wanted to tell him that he...that he needed to be careful. That he wanted him back home as soon as he finished, beside him, where he belonged. When nothing happened, Lance tried again. “Please. Please, Keith, I just want to see you. I want to know that you’re okay, please.” He whispered. 

But when nothing happened, Lance dropped his head. 

He sat there for a few seconds, his hands in his hair as he began to tremble. His breath grew shaky, and suddenly the tears were slipping from his eyes. He pressed at his eyelids as he choked out a gasp, losing himself in his emotions. Suddenly, he heard Keith’s soft voice. “Hey Blue. I knew you’d get to our secret comms at one point. I had no time for a visual recording, so I just had to do this instead.” Lance stopped crying, looking up at the white screen. He could see the wavelengths moving up and down the screen, and he leaned closer in desperation, listening closely. “Look, communications here are wacky. We won’t really be able to talk. All we can really do is send each other audio messages. It takes at least a  _ quintant  _ for audio recordings to reach my device. And I’m pretty sure you’re going to get recordings within a few  _ vargas  _ after I send them to you. It’s not a lot, I know. But it’s something.” He heard Keith say. 

  Then he heard him sigh, “Obviously, you know I’m gone. You know why, and you know where. Shiro hadn’t told me about Kolivan wanting me to finish my mission. Kolivan wanted to talk to me on his own. I...I’m sorry, Lance. I’m so sorry. It was so hard for me to leave, trust me. Not telling you made it worse. I’m just trying to protect you. I made a promise that I would stay with the Castle and the team, for you. But I had to break it. I separated us again. I don’t know if you’ll forgive me. But...please do. I’ll be back soon, I promise. You can yell at me for as long as you want when I do.” Keith said softly. Lance let out a small, shaky laugh. He heard Keith’s breath hitch, “I’m sorry to cut this short. I have to go. I’ll see you soon, okay? I promise I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. I love you, Blue.  _ So much. _ Please take care of yourself _.”  _ Keith whispered. And then that was it. Lance was breaking down, out of relief and happiness.  _ Keith was okay.  _ He couldn’t have recorded this more than 3  _ vargas  _ ago. 

“Oh God...you’re okay. You’re okay.” Lance whispered shakily. 

After a bit, he got himself to calm down. Bracing himself, he recorded a message for Keith. He knew he would get it tomorrow. Once he finished, he got up, walking out.  _ One day, Lance was in a terrible mood. His homesickness was stronger than usual, because they had just arrived back from a planet that was way too similar to Earth. Lance hadn’t wasted any time in getting away from the after-meeting. He was too overwhelmed with the memory of that damn planet. Little did he know, Keith had followed him. He had noticed how quiet Lance had been the entire time. He knew something was wrong, but he didn’t know what. “Hey Lance.” Keith’s voice slightly startled Lance, and he looked to see him coming into the control room, walking toward him. “Oh. Hey, Keith.” He said quietly.  _

_     Keith stood beside him, “Sorry for startling you. I just wanted to check up on you. You were pretty quiet today.” He said. Lance noted the concern in his voice. “I didn’t think you’d care, Mullet.” He said, a bit surprised. “We’re a team, Lance. Of course I do.” Keith sat beside him, looking at him. Suddenly, it hit Keith. “You’re thinking about Earth. Cause of that planet we went to today.” He said. Lance sighed, and Keith continued to watch him before he suddenly softened. He shifted closer to Lance, “I know you miss Earth. I know you miss your family, and Cuba. You miss the beaches, the water, your mom’s hugs-“ Keith saw Lance look at him in surprise and Keith met his stare.  _

_    “What? I’ve been listening. I just didn’t know how to...how to comfort you, and I wish I did. So I always followed you whenever you walked away. It’s different this time because I really sympathized with you, Lance. I care about you, and if I’m being honest…” Keith trailed off, heat creeping into his cheeks, “I don’t like to see you upset. I want nothing more than to take you back to Earth so that smile of yours can come back onto your face again. And I’m sorry I can’t. We’re in the middle of a war. It’s scary, I know. But...finishing it so that we  _ _ can _ _ go back home would be the greatest victory ever. Earth would no longer be in danger.” Keith said. He then reached out and touched his arm, “Don’t lose hope. We  _ _ will _ _ go back soon.” He said gently. Then he swiftly turned more to him, pulling him in for a hug.  _

_ He frowned in concern when he realized that Lance was starting to shake.  _

_ “Thank you, Keith. Thank you so much.” He whispered, embracing him back. The amount of gratitude inside Lance was inexplicable. Keith smiled a bit, “Hey, we’re a team. I’ve got your back.” He said softly. Tears were escaping Lance’s eyes, and Keith could feel them. “Lance…” He said gently, pulling back. He suddenly got up, taking Lance’s hands and pulling him to his feet. “Come.” He whispered into his ear, pulling him out of the control room and into the halls. Lance let him lead, sniffing as he wiped his tears away. Keith pulled him into his room. Lance didn’t think he could be so gentle. Keith got onto his bed, tugging Lance with him. Lance sort of fell on top of him, burying his head into his chest and loosely wrapping an arm around his waist. Keith wrapped an arm around Lance’s back, his other hand carefully going through his brown locks.  _

_   At first, silence. Then, Keith took a small breath.  _

_ “De la Sierra Morena,Cielito lindo, vienen bajando…” He began softly. He felt Lance go still, but Keith continued. He remembered Lance singing the song to Pidge once when she had broken down crying about her family. Lance had said his mother used to sing it to him when he was younger.  _

_ “Un par de ojitos azul,Cielito lindo, de contrabando  _

_ Ay, ay, ay, ay,Canta y no llores,Porque cantando se alegran, _

_ Cielito lindo, los corazones _

_ Pájaro que abandona, _

_ Cielito lindo, su primer nido _

_ Si lo encuentra ocupado, _

_ Cielito lindo, bien merecido.” Keith felt Lance’s arms completely come around him in a tight grip. _

_ He could tell he was grateful. His breaths were easing, and Keith knew he was falling asleep as he softly sang the last verse.  _

_ “Una flecha en el aire,Cielito lindo, lanzó Cupido,si la tiró jugando,Cielito lindo, a mí me ha herido…” Keith never really sang. But the song stayed with him, and he knew how much it meant to Lance. He had done it for him. Lance was now fully asleep, and Keith could see there was a small smile on his face. Keith softened.  _

_ Then, soon after, he fell asleep too.  _

_ In the morning, Lance found Keith alone, in the control room. He came beside him, “Hey.” He said. Keith turned his head to him, then faced him. “Oh. Hey, Lance. How are you feeling?” He asked. “Better, actually. Thank you for last night. You really helped me.” Lance said, smiling. Keith smiled back, “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He said. “Really, Keith. It means a lot to me, in every way possible. I owe you.” Lance said. “You really don’t. It’s okay, Lance, I just...really wanted to make you feel better. I literally haven’t done that with anyone else.” Keith said, and his cheeks turned red. “Sing for them?” Lance asked softly. For some reason, Lance felt that Keith had only done that for him.  _

_    “Yeah.” Keith said. Lance’s face turned hot, and his smile became soft. “I liked it. Your singing. I didn’t know you could sing.” He said. Keith turned even redder, “I-I never do. I-I just-I did it for you.” He stuttered, looking away. It was like as if an arrow pierced Lance’s heart. His entire being was warm. Wow. Keith  _ _ did _ _ sing for him. “T-thanks, though.” Keith suddenly said. Lance suddenly came closer to him and gently bumped his shoulder, a soft laugh coming out of him. Keith only got more flustered, obviously not knowing what to do with Lance’s affectionate gesture. It was then that Lance realized something for the 100th time.  _

_ He was falling so hard for Keith. _

_ Lance reached out and took his wrist, “C’mon. Let’s go see where the others are.” He teased.  _ Lance found his eyes prickling with tears again. That was one of his most cherished memories with Keith. He  _ loved  _ that memory. “Oh God.” He choked out. He couldn’t sleep. It was well into midnight, and he could not sleep.

   Not without Keith.  _ Not without Keith.  _ But his soft singing suddenly entered Lance’s mind again, and he was desperate to let it consume him so it was the only thing he could hear. Even if it was just a memory. At one point, he finally slipped into darkness, but it was not welcoming. It gave him nightmares. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pain. More flashbacks. I love it. Keith’s pissed.

“What is the purpose of the blue paint?” Kolivan asked, catching Keith’s attention. “What?” He asked. “There is blue paint on your cheeks. Granted, it’s smudged, but what is it for?” Kolivan said. On instinct, Keith touched his cheek, remembering. Remembering their dance on Treyiv. Lance having red paint on his cheeks, and Keith having blue.  _ It was just after they finished dancing, and Lance had pulled him into a secluded hall, where they were now alone. Keith was still making sure no one was going to come their way when Lance suddenly reached down and kissed his cheek, making him smile. “You look cute.” Lance teased. Keith smiled even wider, blushing. “Shut up.” He said. _

_     Lance laughed as he blushed, kissing his cheek again, “You really do.” He said. “W-Well, you do too.” Keith mumbled. Lance leaned closer to him, smiling, and Keith found himself looking into his light blue eyes and drowning. Keith turned even redder, his breath hitching. “I really think someone took all the stars from the sky and put them into your eyes.” He whispered suddenly. Lance’s eyes widened, and he turned even redder. “That’s…that’s really sweet.” He whispered. Then his smile grew even wider, and he leaned in and kissed him. “Thanks for the dance.” He whispered, pulling back. A soft purr came out of Keith, full of affection. “I should be thanking  _ _ you _ _. You were the one who got me to dance.” He whispered back, his thumb brushing over Lance’s cheek.  _

_ “I literally don’t want this night to end.” Lance whispered.  _

_ “Neither do I. I liked dancing with you.” Keith admitted. “I did too. You know what? Next time there’s an occasion, and there’s dancing, we’re dancing again. This isn’t going to be my last time dancing with you.” Lance said. Keith’s smile widened, “Yeah?” He asked. “Yep. I promise you that.” Lance said. Keith purred even louder, a soft laugh coming out of him. “Okay.” He said.  _ The memory made Keith feel pain. He dropped his hand, narrowing his eyes at Kolivan. He wasn’t ashamed of telling him what it meant to him. “It’s meant to represent my mate. It’s his favourite colour.” He said lowly before walking away. It would be time for him to go on his mission soon.

   First, there were preparations needed to be done. He would check his comms to see if Lance sent a message once he was finished. But as he prepared, he couldn’t stop thinking about him.  _ Was he okay? Was he keeping himself busy?  _ Keith knew Lance would be worrying, and really, he was worrying too. Once again, Keith was questioning why on Earth he had decided to leave. To do this mission. Once he was finished, he went off, checking the comms. He lit up in relief and happiness when he saw that Lance  _ had  _ sent a message. He played it, and his heart sort of broke when he heard Lance’s happy voice. “Hey Keith. God, I’m so glad you’re okay. I was freaking out so badly when I found you were gone. I thought you were playing a joke on me or something. I know you feel guilty about leaving, but don’t. I completely understand. This mission is really important for you to finish; I know you’ve been looking for this quintessence for months. I won’t even yell at you when you come back, I’m just going to hug you really tightly and give you a lot of kisses.” He heard Lance say. 

Keith’s eyes stung with tears, and he was smiling so widely, it hurt.

“Don’t take too long, okay? Just come home safe and in one piece. Or else I  _ will  _ yell at you. Like, a lot. I know you won’t be able to talk that much while you’re on your mission, so you don’t have to. You can just listen to me rambling non-stop until you’re tired of hearing my voice. Which I hope you won’t be for a while. You said I would see you soon once. So please let me see you again, because I kinda can’t stop worrying about you until you’re back here with me.” Lance said. Then he heard him take a small, shaky breath, “I love you too, Red.  _ So much.  _ See you soon.” And that was the end of the audio. Keith so wished he could see him. 

  Just see him, tightly hug him, and press kisses all over his face. To promise him that they were never going to separate like this again. Especially not if it was done properly. Keith let out a soft breath, trying to calm down. “I’m going to come back for you. I promise.” He whispered. Lance rubbed his face, sinking into his chair. “God, you look terrible. Didn’t sleep well?” Pidge said sympathetically from the other side of the room. “Nope. Not a wink.” Lance muttered. Nightmares. That’s what it was. But he didn’t want to admit that. He heard shuffling footsteps, and suddenly it felt as if Pidge was right over his shoulder. He looked, and there she was, fixing her glasses. She looked concerned. 

“Okay. So you either didn’t sleep at all, or you slept late.  _ Very  _ late.” She said.

“And? You’re always up at like, 3:00 a.m.” Lance asked, instantly defensive. He was trying to get her off the trail. “Nothing on Keith?” Pidge suddenly asked. “Just a message. That was yesterday, though. I sent one back, but I don’t know if he’s going to get it in time.” Lance admitted. It was mostly the truth. Pidge nodded, but didn’t press for more, luckily. “He’s going to come back, Lance. Just you wait.” She then said. Lance only sighed, resting his head in his palm. He drifted into his memories, going back to when they had been on Treyiv. 

_   “I don’t mean to pry, but what is Earth like? What is home to you?” Lux asked on a particularly calm day. Keith instantly was about to warn her to get off the subject, but Lance held up a hand in reassurance. Keith’s shoulders slightly dropped, and he went back to pacing in front of them. “What’s home to me? Well uh...home is...warm. Safety, and shelter. Security. I don’t know, a really nice fire. A galaxy, and the night sky.” Lance said. Then his voice went soft, “Home is gentle. Really gentle. But fierce, too. A tiger, or even a lion. It fits, now that I think of it. I know I can say anything, and he...it’s listening. It’s...support. Through and through…” He vaguely realized he was looking at Keith when h _ e  _ said _ “a nice fire” _ , a small smile spreading onto his face.  _

_ “Lance.” Lux said amusingly.  _

_ “Hm?” He asked vaguely, not taking his eyes off him. “I wasn’t asking you to describe your boyfriend.” Lux teased in his ear. Lance was aware of his cheeks flaming at the newfound realization. Lux giggled and got up, walking away. Keith suddenly stopped and looked at Lance, having felt his eyes on him. “What?” He asked, confused and self-conscious. Lance’s eyes widened, and he shook out of his trance. “I was just thinking.” He said. Which was true, except he was thinking about  _ _ him. _ _ It was true, though. Lance  _ _ had _ _ found a home in Keith. He just hadn’t really, truly realized it until then. _

_    Then he smiled, “Hey Keith?” He said. “Yeah?” Keith said. Lance lightly patted the spot beside him, where Lux had been sitting no more than a few seconds ago. Keith frowned, and Lance rolled his eyes. “Come on! It’s not going to kill you if you sit down for a second ! This is the most peaceful day we’ve ever had, and I want you to come sit with me!” He said. Keith’s eyes widened, and Lance panicked, thinking he went a bit too far. But then Keith sighed, and he softened. “Fine.” He said, and came to him, sitting beside him. They sat there like that for a few seconds before Lance suddenly nudged Keith. Keith looked up at him with a raised brow, and Lance smiled at him. _

_   Keith stared at him for a second before he finally smiled back. “Fine. You win.” He said. And they looked back out onto the city, their shoulders touching.  _ Lance hadn’t realized how deep into his thoughts he had gone until Hunk was suddenly there beside him, shaking him. “Lance? Lance!” Lance shook out of his thoughts, “Huh? What?” He asked. “You started crying again. Are you okay?” Hunk asked. Lance touched his cheeks, only to get slightly surprised at how wet they were. “Oh. I didn’t realize.” He said quietly, wiping his tears away. “You were thinking about Keith, weren’t you?” Hunk asked sympathetically. Lance looked away, confirming it. 

“Aw, Lance…” Hunk said sympathetically, trailing off. 

“I’m fine. I’m okay.” Lance said, his voice wavering. Hunk patted his shoulder, and he was grateful for the comfort. “I think I just wanna be alone.” Lance suddenly said, getting up and walking away. His feet carried him through the halls, and suddenly he was putting on his Paladin suit and going into the training deck. He activated his bayard, only to deadpan at it when it changed into his broadsword. “Really?  _ Really?  _ As if I wanted to see the almost replica of Keith’s sword!” He said. Then he suddenly narrowed his eyes, “Begin extreme training sequence.” He said. The gladiator came down, and Lance instantly lunged at it, attacking it, losing himself in his training.

   He suddenly felt a familiar, fierce warmth beside him, and he whirled around, but did not find anything there. Or rather,  _ anyone.  _ He looked back, only for the gladiator to kick him in the face, sending him flying. He pushed himself up, growling, and quickly sliced the gladiator through the middle with a roar. The gladiator disappeared, and Lance let out a sharp breath, panting.  _ Please take care of yourself.  _ Keith’s soft plea echoed through his head, making him go still, and suddenly he went weak, collapsing to the ground on his knees. He started to tremble, his breath shaking.  _ “Lance. Breathe. Breathe. It’s okay, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere, okay? You’re fine. You’re going to be fine.”  _ Keith’s gentle voice whispered in his head.

Lance put his hand to his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut. 

_ “Lance. Breathe with me. Okay? Focus on me. Don’t look anywhere else.” Keith had his hand on Lance’s cheek, making him look straight into his amethyst eyes. “Breathe.” Keith said softly. And together, they inhaled. And exhaled. “Again. Breathe.” Keith said. Lance breathed in with him, and slowly let it out. “Good. One more. Breathe…” And with the last one, Lance was calming down, his pounding heart slowing. “Okay. Good. There we go. There we go.” Keith said gently, touching his forehead against his. Lance pressed back, grateful. “You’re going to be fine, okay? I promise. You’ll have your hands back in no time.” Keith said gently. Then he softly laughed, “It’ll be nice to have my Sharpshooter back.” He said. Lance’s eyes widened, and he blushed at Keith’s words. “What?” Lance asked. _

_   Keith seemed to realize himself what he said, turning red as well. But then his smile grew, “It would. I care a lot about you, Lance. And plus, we’re a team. You know I’ve got your back. We’re either gonna go through this together, or we’re gonna die together. And I’m not going anywhere without you.” He said. Lance blushed more deeply, smiling widely. “Thanks, Keith.” He said softly. That’s when it happened. Keith reached up and gently, lightly kissed his forehead. “You did good. You kinda scared me there, to be honest. But you’re okay now. That’s all that matters.” He murmured. Lance stared at him, more wide-eyed than humanly possible. Keith pulled back, and he smiled again. _

Lance was calming down, his breaths easing. 

He got up, his bayard de-materializing as he walked out of the training deck. He found himself sitting in his chair, checking the comms. He lit up when he found that Keith had sent a message back.  _ But this time, he could see Keith’s face.  _ He instantly played it, his heart racing. “Hey Lance. Listen, this message is going to be short, cause I’m preparing to leave for my mission in a few  _ doboshes _ . I just wanted to say that I’m glad you forgive me. You shouldn’t, but...I’m glad you do. I’m really glad. You understand, and I was really hoping for that. I’m going to try to finish this mission as fast I can, and then I’m coming back.” Keith said. 

  Then he smiled, “‘Cause you’re right, I  _ did _ make you that promise once, and I’ll be damned if I didn’t do it again. But just to be safe, I probably won’t be back until tomorrow. Maybe. I don’t know, it kinda depends on how hard the mission gets.” Keith said, but his smile faded throughout the end of the sentence. He sighed, “I mean, we can’t exactly be together until death do us part unless we’re actually,  _ physically  _ together, right?” He said. Then he looked pained, “We won’t separate like this again. Or  _ ever,  _ okay? Cause I can’t take that again, and I know you can’t either. Wish me luck, yeah? See ya, Blue.” He said, waving a bit before the message ended. 


	3. Chapter 3

It was about 2 days before Lance finally remembered and realized why he kept feeling a familiar warmth pressed to his back whenever he trained.  _ He and Keith used to train back to back whenever they faced the drones. “The only way this is going to work is if we go back to back!” Keith shouted. “Good plan! That way, we can protect each other better!” Lance shouted back. So they did that. Lance continued to both fire and shield himself from the drones, occasionally checking on Keith. “You doing all right over there?” He shouted. “Focus on yourself, Lance, not me!” Keith shouted back.  _

_   Lance’s eyes widened when he saw a drone coming in from Keith’s blind side. “Watch out!” He shouted, side-stepping around Keith and quickly changing his bayard into his sword, striking the drone through the middle. The move left him exposed, but Keith was already there, using his shield to defect the other drones’ fire. Lance felt a swell of admiration and gratefulness, mainly because he had not completely expected that. He didn’t realize he was staring until he got hit by one of the drones. He quickly whirled around, slicing through them all. Keith watched him, taking off his helmet as the sequence ended, wide-eyed. Then he smiled, proud.  _ _ He’s been doing so well.  _ _ “That was good, Lance. Really good.” He said, his pride leaking through his voice.  _

_ “Well, I had a good teacher.” Lance said, smiling.  _

_ He took his helmet off, wiping his forehead. He had helmet hair, which he scowled at before fixing. Then he quickly smiled again, “Iverson told me not to follow in your footsteps once. And he’s got a point. I  _ _ don’t _ _ want to follow in your footsteps. It’s much better for me to follow  _ _ alongside _ _ them.” He said. Keith’s eyes widened in shock and surprise. He felt so touched by that. Then Lance lightly tossed his helmet into the air before catching it, “Well, I’m off to take a shower. But we’ll talk later, yeah? It’s times like this that I’m really glad you’re back, Keith. I missed you.” He said as he walked past Keith, grasping his shoulder. Keith turned to watch him as he left, not realizing he was holding in his breath.  _

_    He vaguely walked out a minute or so after, taking off his Paladin suit. Later on, when they were all in the main control room, Keith couldn’t stop staring at Lance. Remembering what he said. His cheeks were turning red again, and he was not aware of Shiro trying to catch his attention. “Keith!” Shiro nudged him, making him snap out of his trance. “Wha-what?” He asked, turning to Shiro. “You all right? You’re kinda zoning out.” Shiro asked. “Yeah.” Keith said. He snuck another glance at Lance before looking back to Shiro. “I’m fine.” He said.  _

_ Shiro turned to Allura, “Sorry, Princess. Carry on.” He said.  _

_ Allura nodded, “Of course. This mission requires strategy and skill. That is why Keith and Lance will be the ones doing it. You two have been progressing well together, and you both have very impressive skill and strategy. Your job is to figure out how to get into the base, extract the information on the changed Galra troop rotations, and get out without anybody seeing you. I am sure you will both succeed without complications. You have around 20 doboshes before the information is given to Galra HQ, so plan quickly, and get out there as soon as you can.” Allura said. Lance had caught Keith’s eye and flashed a smile at him when Allura had said they were progressing well together, which Keith returned. It  _ _ was _ _ true, and Keith would not hesitate to say that. He was actually rather proud of it.  _

_   When the meeting was finished, Lance went to Keith. “I know, I know. You’re excited to do this mission with me, but we need to focus, all right?” He said playfully, hand on his hip. Keith scoffed, but he smiled, “I am, actually. I can’t see myself doing it with anyone else, really.” He admitted. “You’re hopeless without me, Mullet.” Lance teased. “Nah. It’s actually because no one matches my skills like you do.” Keith said. Lance’s eyes widened in surprise. Keith shook his head as if to clear it, and put his hand on Lance’s shoulder, leading him out of the control room, “All right, come on. We gotta figure out a plan. Got any ideas?” He asked as they walked through the halls together.  _

_ Lance pulled up the blueprints of the Galra base that Allura gave to them, “Well, the base has tight security, that’s for sure. Maybe we find a backdoor or a high landing point that’s out of view so we can get a closer look at the inside of the base.” He said. _

_ Keith nodded, “That would be good. And from the blueprints, I can see that there’s a sort of watchtower connected to it, so we can definitely go from there.” He said. “Ah, yeah, good eye. And you can use your sharp hearing and eyes to detect any incoming sentries.” Lance said. “Exactly. It’s logical to take Red. He’s fast and swift. No one would see him coming.” Keith said. “Good point, good point. And no offence, but you would have to be the one to download the info since I’m not Galra.” Lance said. Keith laughed, “Don't be sorry, I see what you mean. You would set off a trap anyway. And speaking of traps-“ He cut off, and somehow Lance knew how to finish. “I use my sniper to take out any traps and cameras.” He said, doing finger guns.  _

_    Keith shook his head amusingly, “Exactly. Great planning, Lance.” He said. “Aw, thanks, Samurai! You had some great ideas too, especially with going into the watchtower. There would be no cameras, traps, or sentries ‘till we get into the base. I’m guessing there’s gonna be a tunnel, which will screw with our blueprints and communications, so we gotta stay together. The base is kind of a maze.” Lance said. Keith smiled, “Thanks, but you were the one who said we should find a high place so we could get in without being seen. We definitely need to see inside and look at our surroundings too.” He said. Lance smiled back, “Alright, then! Let’s get going!” He said.  _

_ - _

_ “Lance!” Lance turned at Keith’s voice, seeing him walk toward him. “Yeah?” Lance asked, crossing his arms. He was determined not to show how upset he was about Keith leaving. “I have something to give you.” Keith said. He then held out his bayard, surprising Lance. “You’re the Red Paladin now. It belongs to you. I almost decided to leave it in your room, but then I ended up going to you instead.” He said. “Why?” Lance asked as he took the bayard. Keith stayed quiet for a second, “It doesn’t really matter now. Look, I know you’ll take care of Red. And watch the team for me too, yeah?” He said, shaking his head.  _

_   Lance’s eyes slightly widened, but he nodded. “Yeah.” He said. Keith suddenly smiled a bit, “And, uh…And keep up the good work, yeah? You’ve been doing so well. Take care of yourself, okay?” He said. “...Okay.” Lance said softly. And he watched Keith walk away. His face dropped in pain and sadness.  _ _ Don’t leave, don’t leave… _ _ His mind was tugging at him, wanting to call Keith back. “Don’t go…” He whispered softly. But Keith didn’t hear him. He was already gone. _

_ - _

Lance could feel himself spiraling. He couldn’t sleep anymore. Nightmares plagued him. He was slipping. He was exhausted. Sometimes he would begin to fall asleep again, only to quickly jerk himself awake. Keith said he would be back soon.  _ It’s been 2 days. Where is he?  _ “Go away.” He whispered to his hallucination of Keith, who was leaning against the far wall, arms crossed. He had started hallucinating yesterday. “I asked you to take care of yourself. This isn’t doing that. Look at you, you look like you haven’t slept in 2 days.” Keith said. Lance stared at the door, head resting on his arms. “ _ Lance.  _ Don’t be like this. Please.” Keith said. 

  Lance suddenly got up, walking out of his room. He went to his secret place, opening up the comms, and sent another message to Keith before walking off, going to the pool.  _ Lance was floating. He let himself sink away, thinking of Varadero beach. Its crystal clear waters and warm, sandy beaches. If he let himself drift away enough, he could almost feel as if he was back home. Almost. He opened his eyes, only to see an upside down Keith staring at him, looking concerned. “Lance?” He said softly. Lance’s eyes widened, and he quickly got into an upright position, whirling to Keith. “What are you doing here? Especially in your clothes?” He asked. Keith looked taken aback by the question, “I just came to see if you were okay. I kinda…” He trailed off, and Lance thought he saw worry in those amethyst eyes of his.  _

_ “I don’t know, you weren’t really answering me when I called to you. I-I thought…” He sighed, trailing off again.  _

_ “I sort of drifted into my thoughts. I didn’t realize you got so worried about me.” Lance said, but he was flushing. Keith nodded and suddenly turned away, quickly getting out of the pool. Lance watched him as he pulled his hair back, blowing a stray strand out of his face. He looked at Lance, and his eyes slightly widened as he flushed. “You coming or what? Shiro’s got something to tell us.” He asked, startling Lance out of his stare. Lance nodded, embarrassed. “Coming.” He said. Lance had quickly changed before he and the others met in the main control room, but Keith was still dripping wet. “Yo Keith, why are you dripping wet?” Hunk called to him. Keith snapped out of his thoughts, looking at him, then down at himself.  _ _ Oh, right. He hadn’t changed. _

_    “Oh. Um…” He was about to try to explain when the doors suddenly slid open, and Lance walked in. He saw Keith and instantly gasped, coming toward him. “What the hell, why didn’t you change? You’re gonna get a cold! Here, take my jacket, it’ll keep you warm. Go change. Shiro’ll wait for you.” Lance fretted as he gave him his jacket before nudging him to the door. Keith looked at him in surprise, but walked out anyways. When he put the jacket on, Lance’s scent filled his nose. It smelled of cinnamon for some odd reason, but it smelled so...nice. He quickly shook the thought away and went back to the control room, standing beside Lance again. “Thanks. For the jacket.” He said to him quietly as Shiro began to debrief them of their last mission.  _

_ Lance smiled, “No prob. It looks like it’s about to swallow you.” He said teasingly.  _

_ Keith’s eyes widened, and his face turned red. He  _ _ knew _ _ Lance was teasing him for how small he was, and he was just about ready to tackle him, but he held his ground as Lance laughed. “Shut up, space ninja.” Keith muttered. As Shiro went on, Keith was aware of Lance leaning against him, his weight going heavy. “All that swimming has made me so tired.” He said. Keith related, because he felt sleepy himself. He was awkward with such close contact, but didn’t move or pull away, rather shyly shifting closer to him. Lance yawned, resting his head against Keith’s. Keith slightly stiffened, but he still did not move. His skin was heating up, but he was determined to hide it.  _

_    All of a sudden, he could hear Lance’s breaths easing.  _ _ He was falling asleep against him. _ _ Keith had his arm around him at one point to support him, but he didn’t remember when. “Lance?” Shiro’s voice startled both Lance and Keith. “Huh? Yeah?” Lance asked, blinking. Keith instantly felt bad and defensive, glancing at Shiro. “Are you okay?” Shiro asked. Lance rubbed his eyes, “Yeah. Sorry, Shiro. Keep going.” He said, but he sounded and looked so exhausted. A dobosh didn’t even pass before Keith silently sighed. “Sorry, Shiro. We’re gonna go. We can debrief ourselves later. Lance is really tired, and I’m gonna take him to his room.” He said before taking Lance’s wrist, pulling him out of the control room.  _

_ Lance didn’t even object, tiredly sighing. “Thanks.” He mumbled. _

_ “Don’t mention it.” Keith said as he led him to his room. Lance instantly dropped onto his bed, sprawled out. Keith stared at him in worry for a second before turning around, but then Lance’s soft mumble of his name stopped him. “You’re ‘bouta drop too. Stay. S’Okay.” Lance mumbled. Keith would have protested, but Lance was already knocked out cold. He sighed and lightly sat on the bed before he lied down, curling up on his side. After a few seconds, he fell into a deep sleep too. The morning found them still asleep, but this time, Keith was facing Lance. He had turned in his sleep at one point. He woke up first a bit later, and froze. Lance was a few inches away from him, his soft breaths lightly brushing over Keith’s face, making his cheeks become hot.   _

_    Realizing he had to move or else this would only get more harder for him, Keith slowly began to pull away, sitting up. He carefully got up, but kept his eyes on Lance, making sure that he wouldn’t wake up. When he was sure he wouldn’t, he softly sighed in relief before walking out of his room. But there was no hiding the soft, small smile on his burning face.  _


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My girls Lux and koda are back! Aaaa

Keith rubbed his eyes, trying to calm down. He was listening to Lance’s message as he flew through space, on his mission. “I know I said I was going to be okay with this. With us being apart. And I’m trying to be, I  _ really  _ am. It’s been 5 days, and I miss you, honest to God, I miss you so much. It was sort of stupid of me to think you’d be back in a few  _ doboshes,  _ but then again, Kolivan never does mean what he says. I hope you’re doing okay on your mission. I know you’re most likely killing it out there. I...I love it when you do that. It’s really quiet here without you. It’s reminding me way too much of when you first went to join them.” Lance’s voice suddenly breaks, and it sounds wobbly. Keith’s heart twists, and he nearly stops the message so that he doesn’t have to hear it, so that he won’t have to hear Lance  _ sound like that because it reminds him of when he pushed him into Red to protect him, and Lance was begging him to not do this, yelling his name in agony, and-  _

__ “I’m trying to stay strong. Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro have been helping me, but they know they can’t do much since we’re bonded. That’s not something they know how to deal with.” Lance suddenly goes silent for a few seconds, and Keith’s breath hitches. “Say something. Say something, please.” He whispered. He hears Lance shakily sigh, “I just...want to hear your voice. God, I’m literally shaking right now, and I have no idea why. I’m scared for you. You’re out there, alone, and-“ Keith startled when alarms started blaring. It almost sounded as if Lance jumped too, ‘cause he was now letting out sharp breaths.

“ _ Jesus, we’re going through an asteroid field right now. That scared the hell out of me.  _ Look, I-I gotta go. Allura might need us to get some asteroids out of the way so it doesn’t damage the Castle. Um…” He hears Lance say, but then trail off, and he  _ knows  _ Lance is trying to figure out how to end the message.

“Red misses you. Blue misses you. We all miss you. I-“ He hears Lance cut off as Allura’s voice sounds over the Castle. “ _ It’s alright, we’ve activated the particle barrier!”  _ The alarms suddenly stop. He hears Lance let out another sharp breath. “Jesus, my ears are ringing. I-I should go anyway. I’ll see you soon, Red. I love you.” And that was it. “Wait…” Keith whispered, even though he knew the message already ended. He fiddled with the band secretly hanging around his neck, running his thumb over the thin, blue surface. 

   Lance was about to leave his room when a bright, reddish glint caught his eye. He frowned, and Keith was suddenly there beside him, peering over his shoulder. “Oh? What’s that over there in the corner of the bed?” He asked. Lance ignored his hallucination, going toward the corner of the bed. And what he pulled out was a necklace. With a red band as its chain. He frowned at it, wondering what on Earth…  _ oh.  _ “Oh.” He whispered faintly, his eyes widening.  _ It’s a ring.  _ “Jesus, Keith. You stupid, Red, cheesy idiot…” He whispered, but he was smiling so widely as his face burned, and he began to quietly laugh. Later on, he was wearing the necklace, but kept it under his shirt. 

Hunk and Pidge were in the lounge, working on their holo-screens. 

They looked up when he came toward them, and they both lit up. “Hey Lance! You’re looking way better today.” Pidge said, fixing her glasses. “Yeah, man, you do. How you feelin’?” Hunk asked as Lance sat beside him, the smile still on his face. “I feel fine. Thanks, guys.” He said. He laid his head on the backrest, sighing. “Hey Lance? Why don’t you tell us more about Lux? The Princess of Treyiv?” Pidge suddenly asked, catching his attention. His eyes widened.  _ Lux.  _ It had only been a few weeks or so since they left Treyiv.  _ He should contact her, see how she’s doing.  _ “Oh, Lux? Lux is great. She’s one of the most greatest healers I know. I owe her a lot for what she’s done for Keith and I. And she’s so totally in love with her best friend, Koda. They’re mates, like Keith and I are. She knew from the instant she saw us. The thing about Lux is that she and her mother are different from the other Amarites who can sense emotions. Lux can see colours with emotions. I don’t know what Queen Loucia can do, but she’s different too.” Lance said.

   He then sighed, “Lux took to us so quickly. She’s been looking up to Voltron ever since we saved her planet. Keith didn’t trust her at first, but he slowly warmed up to her. I don’t think she couldn’t be more older than you, Pidge.” He said. “Wow. You guys really took to her too.” Pidge said. “Yeah. I mean, she’s young, but she has strength in her. You just reminded me. I should go talk to her, see how she’s doing. I’ll be back in a few.” He said before standing up, walking away. He used the communication device he had given her so they could have a private link with no interruptions. He lit up when her face appeared, bright and happy. “Lance! Oh, I’m so happy to see you, it’s been a while!” She said happily, a big smile on her face. 

He smiled, “Hey Lux. I miss you. I know, it  _ has _ been a while.” He said. 

“I miss you too. How have you been? How’s Keith?” Lux asked. “I’ve been fine. Keith’s on a mission with the Blade of Marmora. He’s been gone for a bit. 5 days, to be specific.” Lance said. Lux’s eyes widened, and she instantly looked worried. “Oh? You must be worried sick about him. You know him, he’s strong. He’ll do well to come back safely and in one piece.” She said. “Yeah. How are things on Treyiv? How’s your mom and Koda?” Lance said. “Well, things have been quiet without you and Keith. My mother has been doing fine, and so has Koda.” Lux said. She then slightly smiled, “She and I confessed to each other a few weeks ago. She’s actually here with me right now.” She said. Koda came in beside her, waving. “Hey Lance!” She said. 

   Lance smiled, “Hey Koda. I’m glad you guys finally confessed to each other, Lux. Keith and I miss you guys.” He said. “Lance, when are you coming back? You promised you’d visit, and so did Keith.” Lux asked. “Soon, Princess. I just want to wait for Keith. He’d kill me if he knew I came back without him.” Lance assured. Then he suddenly, slightly smiled. “I have something to show you before I go.” He said. He pulled out his necklace, showing the ring to the two girls. They both gasped, and started shrieking. “Oh my gosh,  _ you’re engaged?! He proposed?!”  _ Lux squealed. “ _ I  _ did, actually. I don’t know when he left it, but I found it in our shared room. He must’ve gotten it at one point. He most likely has one that’s blue.” Lance said. “Oh my gosh,  _ that’s so adorable!! Oh, I’m so happy for you guys!  _ Look, you even still have the paint on!” Lux said happily. Lance touched his cheek on instinct, and his smile widened a bit. 

“Gosh, Lance, I’m going to  _ cry.  _ I’m so happy for you guys, I can’t believe you’re engaged.” Lux sounded choked, and she was fanning herself. 

Koda laughed, touching her shoulder. “Aw Lux, don’t cry. Thanks, sweetie, I’m really happy too.” Lance cooed affectionately. Lux wiped at her eyes, “Okay, we won’t keep you any longer. Next time you talk to Keith, tell him I say hi. Tell him  _ we both  _ say hi. I love you! And tell Keith I love him too!” Lux said. Lance put a hand to his mouth, touched. He was smiling so hard, his affection for Lux growing even stronger. “ _ Aw, Lux.  _ I love you too, sweetie. Don’t worry, I’ll tell him next time I send him a message. I’ll see you soon, okay?” He said. Lux nodded, “Okay! See you soon, Lance!” Lux said. “Bye Lance!” Koda said as she and Lux waved at him. Lance waved back, “Bye girls!” He said. And then that was it. He sighed, stuffing the device away before going back to join Hunk and Pidge.

  “Well? Did you talk to her?” Pidge asked. Lance nodded, “Yeah. She seems like she’s doing okay. Koda was with her.” Lance said. Pidge nodded, “That’s good.” She said. Lance was fiddling with the ring on his neck, staring at it as he zoned out. The smile on his face became even wider, and suddenly he couldn’t hold it in, hiding the necklace before sitting up sharply. “Keith and I are engaged!” He shouted. Pidge and Hunk look at him, their eyes wide. And then they both start screeching. “ _ WHAT?!!???!!! NO WAY!!! WHEN?!? WHEN DID HE PROPOSE?!?!”  _ Pidge squealed happily as they both attacked him with hugs. “He didn’t propose,  _ I  _ did!” Lance was giggling, happiness bursting inside him. “When? Dude  _ when??!” _ Hunk asked. “When we on that planet that Sendak’s fleet was attacking! One of the sentries shouted “Red Paladin!” And I said, “Yeah, that’s me”! It was the most cheesiest way to propose, but I did it!” Lance said. “Aw, Lance!!” Hunk said, squeezing him tighter. 

“What’s going on?” Lance heard Shiro’s confused voice, and looked to see him coming toward them, raising an eyebrow. 

“LANCE AND KEITH ARE ENGAGED!!” Pidge shrieked happily. Shiro’s eyes widened, and he smiled widely. “What?? When did this happen? Who proposed first?” He asked. “I did. It happened we were on that planet Sendak’s fleet was attacking.” Lance said. “Aw Lance, that’s great! Get over here!” Shiro said, opening his arms. Lance pulled away from Pidge and Hunk and ran to Shiro, tightly embracing him. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, if you’re getting confused, “-“ means that it’s a flashback. One to begin it, and one to end it.

_“Lance!”_ Keith woke up, bolting upright. He looked around wildly, only to still find himself where he’s been for the past few weeks. On the space whale. He tried to calm down, gasping. Blue, who had been sleeping beside him, instantly lifted his head, ears alert. Keith ran his fingers through his black-blue fur, his heart slowing. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” He whispered as he scratched his ear. Feeling eyes on him, he turned his head, only to see Krolia look away from him, staring out at the surrounding ground. “Bad dream?” She asked.

   “It’s nothing.” Keith said, grasping his necklace under his Blade of Marmora suit. Luckily, Krolia doesn’t press much. “I’ve been hearing you murmur that name. Lance. Why does this Lance have the name of a weapon?” She suddenly said. _She’s trying to get him to talk._ “I don’t know. I’ve never asked him.” Keith said. “He’s important, isn’t he?” Krolia asked. Keith stayed silent for a few seconds, his grip on his ring tightening. _Lance is too personal. Too personal to talk about to her._ He and Krolia were now in a stage where Keith was beginning to get comfortable with her. He’d tell her small things about his life as a Paladin. He’d tell her about Voltron, about Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, Allura, and Coran. He doesn’t say much about Lance. He’d tell her some things. About how Lance was the Sharpshooter, best known as the Multi-Shooter. He’d tell her about how Lance was capable of changing his bayard into more than one weapon.

And when his voice starts to get fond, to become more passionate and praising of his Blue mate, that’s when he clamps up.

He doesn’t let anything else slip out. None of it. He and Krolia have more ground to work through before he’d even begin to tell her anything of how much Lance means to him. _Lance is way too personal._ And Krolia was becoming less of a stranger to him, but _Lance was still too personal to just simply begin to tell his mother about._ Because if he were to be honest, once they were up to the point where Keith could tell her absolutely anything without wanting to clamp down, _that_ would be when he’d start to tell her about Lance. And he wanted to keep to that. So he let himself answer this one question. “Yeah. But I’m not ready to talk about that yet.” He finally answered. _Because that’s something he_ _can and wants_ _to say. That’s the start of the building blocks._

   He knew Krolia would understand. Krolia nodded, “Of course. You quite literally have all the time in the world until we reach the quantum abyss.” She said. And that was it. Keith felt something stir inside him, but he brushed it away, going back to scratching Blue’s ears.

-

_Keith let out a roar as his sword swung through the air, slashing the dummy clean in half. A clapping caught his attention, and he whirled around to see Lance pushing off the far side of the wall, a grin on his face. “So this is why I didn’t find you when I woke up.” He said. “Sorry. I was just trying to get in some training. Make sure I don’t get rusty.” Keith said, wiping his forehead. He switched his sword to his other hand as Lance came up to him, smiling. “Hi.” He said. Keith smiled, “Hi.” He said back. “That was pretty impressive. What you did there. You’re not the best swordsman for no reason.” Lance said._

_Keith felt his cheeks burn up, “Thanks.” He said._

_Lance suddenly leaned in, reached down and planted a kiss on his cheek, slightly startling Keith. And he only turned redder, his smile widening. “What are you up to, Lance?” He asked knowingly. He knew Lance way too well to not think that he was up to something. Lance’s grin widened, “Ah, you caught me. C’mon. It’s a really nice day out, let’s go take a walk.” He said. Keith’s smile faded as he sighed, “I don’t know, Blue…” He trailed off. “Please, Red? Please? For me?” Lance asked, giving him puppy eyes._ _Oh no. Oh no._ _Keith found himself instantly giving in, unable to resist._

_“Fine.” He said. Lance took his hand as he put his sword away, and led him out of the Castle, their fingers entwining. The surrounding kingdom wasn't as full with Amarites as it usually was, and there was less noise. Lance suddenly tugged Keith a bit closer to him, their shoulders brushing. Keith didn’t react all that much, rather smiling a bit. They talked non-stop as they walked around the kingdom, taking in more and more of the huge city. Lance suddenly nudged Keith, a mischievous smile on his face. Keith nudged him back, unaware of what he was about to do. Lance nudged him again, making Keith sway a bit. Keith looked at him and nudged him back with the same amount of force._

_Lance did it again, only this time he sent Keith stumbling._

_Keith turned to him, and Lance instantly grinned. “Oh, you asked for it. Get over here!” Keith said, and Lance instantly shrieked, running off. Keith chased after him, laughing. “_ _Lance!! I’m going to kill you!!”_ _He shouted. “No you won’t!” Lance shouted back as he laughed. Their shouts and laughter echoed through the city, catching a few of the Amarites’ attention as Keith chased Lance through the city. Lance suddenly skidded to a stop, and Keith let out a triumphant yell. “Ha! Gotcha!” He shouted. Lance whirled around, “Wait, Keith, nO-“ His yell came too late as Keith lunged at him, and they both went tumbling down a hill. They both started to let out startled cries as the world went spinning. A minute later they both finally sprawled to a stop, clinging to each other._

_Keith made sure he would get the last hit, though it was softened by the grass. He and Lance were both trying to catch their breath, winded by their fall. And when Lance finally pulled back and stared at him with wide eyes, they both bursted out into hysterical, uncontrollable laughter. “I tried to warn you, you stupid Red idiot!” Lance gasped. “Sorry! I had...no idea…” Keith breathed, unable to stop laughing. It took them a good minute and a half to finally, fully calm down, their pounding hearts beating as one. “Geez. I know you said you fell for me, but now you’re exaggerating it a bit too much.” Lance teased. Keith rolled his eyes as he flushed, “Still falling for you, actually.” He muttered. Lance smiled, blushing. “This is your fault, y’know.” He said. “Maybe, but I didn’t start this._ _You_ _did. You’re lucky I cushioned your fall.” Keith said._

_Lance was staring at him, his blue eyes glittering._

_Then he suddenly reached out, “Hold on. Stay still.” He said, reaching out and brushing his fingers through Keith’s hair. Keith lightly twitched, but nonetheless did not move, quickly relaxing against Lance’s familiar touch. Lance planted a light, soft kiss on his temple before pulling back, his hand slipping from Keith’s hair. “You had some grass in your hair.” He said. “Thanks.” Keith said quietly. Lance suddenly smiled again, “Hey.” He said softly. “What?” Keith asked. “I love you, Red.” Lance whispered. Then he leaned in again, but Keith quickly reached up, distracting him, and kissed him. He pulled back, resting his forehead against Lance’s. “I love you too, Blue.” He whispered back, smiling._

-

  Keith’s promise continues to stay. It’s been almost a month, and that’s when he feels it’s okay to start telling Krolia small things about Lance. It’s small, but it’s more than what he’s told her before. “Lance is a really sweet person. He’s kind, selfless, loyal, and amazing. He’s such a jokester, and well-rounded. He adapts to things quickly, that’s what he does. He’s strong. He matches my skills. And he’s very empathetic. He knows how to talk to people and comfort them. And he…” Keith trailed off, wondering if he should say his next words. He decides that this is another step toward being okay with telling Krolia more. “He’s had such a powerful impact on me. And I’ve had an impact on _him._ And…” He trailed off again, his tongue going heavy.

His chest tightened, and the feeling of wanting to clamp down overwhelmed him, along with his pain.

_God, it was so hard to talk about Lance without his heart tearing itself apart bit by bit. Lance is still too personal._ He took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. “Have you heard of his title?” He suddenly asked. Krolia stayed quiet for a few seconds, looking like she was thinking. Then she nodded, “I _have_ heard a lot about him as the Multi-Shooter, yes. They say he has deadly accuracy. That he can shoot a sentry in the head without looking. The soldiers on my base _feared_ him.” She said. Keith hid his face, a proud smile spreading across his mouth as he fiddled with his ring. _He was so fucking proud of him._

“I was very impressed by his multiple skills. By how his bayard can turn into more than one weapon. I knew of him, of his title as the Blue Paladin. I didn’t think someone so young could be such a strong fighter.” Krolia continued. “He’s the most strongest fighter I know. There’s no one else like him.” Keith said softly.

-

_A few days before Keith left, he and Lance were on a recon mission on Olkari. Ryner had said there were some rebels in the city that were still with Lubos, causing a disturbance. They had just finished, and Lance pleaded Keith for them to stay for a few more doboshes. “Fine.” Keith gave in, having such a weak spot for Lance. He couldn’t help but smile affectionately as Lance jumped with excitement, “Yes! Thank you, thank you!” He cried in delight, quickly reaching down and pecking Keith’s cheek before taking off into the city. Keith’s face burned as he timidly touched his cheek, and followed after Lance. They spent a few minutes looking around at the shops, and a certain store caught Keith’s eye._

_Glancing at Lance, who was talking to some children, Keith went toward the store, his heart racing. Dozens of diamonds sparkled behind their glass cases. But none of them satisfied Keith._ _It has to be perfect._ _“Hello!” A cheery voice called out, and Keith whirled around in surprise, having thought it was Lux. But rather, it was a female Olkari, who stopped in surprise when she saw him. “Oh! Hello, Red Paladin! To what do I owe the honour of you coming into my shop?” She asked. “I’m just looking around, I guess.” Keith said. “Anything specific?” She asked. Keith glanced at her tag name, seeing that the Olkari’s name was Olia. “Olia. I know someone from the Coalition named Olia.” He remarked. Then he shook his head, “I’m a bit new to this. I guess I’m looking for rings.” He admitted._

_Olia smiled, “Well! Let me show you what I’ve got!” She said, going behind the counter._

_Keith glanced again at Lance, who looked at him and smiled brightly. Keith smiled back, fondness surging through him. “Look, look!” Olia said, catching his attention. She was putting cases of rings on the counter for him to see, but he instantly saw it. The red ring, smooth and thin._ _Perfect._ _“Wait, wait. This one.” He picked it out, showing it to her. “Ooh, yes, this is very beautiful. Doesn’t rust, and it’s very valuable. May I ask who you will be presenting it to?” Olia said, smiling. Keith looked back again, seeing Lance walking ahead. “My Blue mate. I want it to be a secret.” Keith said vaguely, the smile coming back onto his face._

_“Yes, of course. You’re lucky. It comes with another one.” Olia said, and held up a blue ring identical to the red one. Keith’s eyes widened, and he slightly grinned, “They’re perfect. But uh...maybe you could give me necklace chains for them? Just in case?” He said. Olia nodded, “Of course. Here.” She held out a pair of necklace chains, which Keith took. He gave her some GAC, “Thank you so much.” He said quietly before hiding the rings, running out to catch up with Lance. “Where’d you go off to?” Lance asked, looking at him curiously. Keith smiled, “Nowhere. Just got you a little something.” He teased._

_Lance gasped, “For me??? Lemme see, lemme see!” He said, instantly searching Keith._

_Keith laughed, gently batting Lance away. “Nope. It’s a surprise.” He said. “Aw, come on! I wanna see it! Please?” Lance pouted, giving him puppy eyes. Keith had to force himself not to melt or give in, laughing. “Not yet. Sorry, Blue.” He said fondly, reaching up and kissing his cheek. Lance pouted even more, crossing his arms as he turned away from Keith, letting out a small huff. “Aw, Lance, don’t do that. Don’t be like that, it’s a surprise for a reason.” Keith teased, gently tugging Lance’s arm. Lance turned to him again, “Fine. But you have to give me something else, then.” He said. “Anything.” Keith said._

_Lance slightly smiled, “Give me a kiss.” Keith obliged, reaching up and kissing him. “Another.” Keith kissed him again. Lance’s smile grew, “Another.” He kissed him on his cheek, on his nose, all over his face, and Lance instantly started giggling, blushing. Keith laughed, running his fingers through Lance’s brown locks. He then lightly, gently nuzzled him as he softly purred, before pulling away, “C’mon. We gotta go. We spent enough time here.” He said, taking his hand and pulling him with him. Their fingers entwined as they headed toward Red, who was waiting for them._

_-_


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My boy’s back! Also, paiiiiinnn

It’s around 2 months- at least for Keith-when he finally shows up on the screen, his face urgent and serious. All Lance can think is  _ where have you been where have you been where have you been Jesus you’ve grown what on Earth where have you been-  _ Keith lands the old Altean pod in the Castle, jumping out, and Lance is about to hug him tightly and never let him go, but  _ something is wrong.  _ “We need to get to Lotor.” He said. “We can’t. He’s in the quintessence field with Allura.” Pidge said. “We’ve done things like that many times.” Keith said, not understanding the problem. “Hold on, why do we need to attack Lotor? Who are those people with you?” Hunk asked. It was a Galra, a wolf, and a female Altean. “I promise to explain everything when we get inside.” Keith said. As they headed inside, Lance fell into step with him.

  “Keith?” He asked softly, concerned and worried as he reached for his hand. Keith instantly took it, squeezing it in assurance. “Hey Blue. We’ll talk in a bit, okay? Right now, this is really important. Lotor’s been playing with us.” He said softly before letting go of his hand.  _ What?  _ Once they were inside, Keith introduced the Galra. “This is Krolia. She’s a member of the Marmora. She’s also my mother.” He said, a funny look in his purple eyes. “It’s so nice to meet you-“ Shiro’s cut off by Lance’s shriek of surprise.  _ “What?!?!  _ This is crazy! You come back with your Galra mom, a space wolf, and an Altean??” He said. Keith looked at him, and the funny look in his eyes was replaced by fondness. “Yes, I’d like to know where you found this Altean.” Coran said. Keith turned to the female Altean, “This is Romelle. And I think she should tell her own story.” He said. 

So the Altean explained everything. 

How Lotor had come to their secret planet, claiming he was saving their race. How his promise for a second colony was a ploy to extract millions of the Alteans’ quintessence for his own need. Lance only grew more troubled as Romelle went on, to the point where Keith and Krolia had found her. “I can’t believe he played us all.” Lance whispered. “We all believed him.” Pidge said. A beeping noise caught all their attention, and they all looked to the holo-screen, seeing that the ship with Allura and Lotor on it was heading back. “What are you waiting for? Open fire!” Romelle said. “No way! Allura’s on that ship!” Lance shouted. 

   “We need to let them dock. Once we know Allura is safe,  _ then  _ we’ll deal with Lotor.” Shiro said, his tone sounding off. And from there, things went crashing down. Once Allura and Lotor came in, everything went to hell. When it was explained to Allura what Lotor had done, she took him and knocked him right the hell out. And then they were being fired at. It was Lotor’s generals. Shiro suddenly collapsed, crying out in pain as he clutched his Galra arm. “Guys, you need to get out there and take care of the generals! We’ll secure Shiro!” Lance shouted. He saw Keith take off with Pidge and Krolia. But that was when Shiro started attacking Hunk, him, Allura, and Romelle. After Shiro ran off with Lotor, Lance pushed himself up, running after him. At least until he saw Keith, about to get shot at.  _ No. He would not get hurt again. He would  _ _ not _ _ get hurt again!  _ “ _ NO!!”  _ He shouted in terror, running in front of Keith and taking the shot for himself, sending them both flying back. 

Keith quickly twisted so that he would take the landing hit, horrified. 

No. No, no, no, no, no. “No. _No.”_ Keith whispered. “Lance. Lance, _you stupid idiot, why-“_ Keith growled fiercely, but Lance cut him off. “I couldn’t let you get hurt again.” He said, gasping. Keith pressed his hand to Lance’s stomach, trying to stop the blood. So much blood. “Oh God. Oh God, oh God. Jesus, Lance-It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, it wasn’t. _I’m supposed to protect you. I promised I wouldn’t let you get hurt again.”_ Keith was panicking. Lance coughed, blood dripping down his mouth. “Hey-Hey, stay with me. Stay with me, okay?” Keith said urgently. Lance trembled against him, groaning. “Guys. Guys, help me out here. Lance is hurt real bad.” Keith called out, desperate and frantic. His heart dropped when he saw Lance’s eyes fluttering close. “ _Lance, no, you can’t sleep. You need to stay awake. Lance, please. You gotta stay with me. You’re gonna be fine, okay?”_ Keith begged in fear, his voice breaking. Lance’s eyes opened again, and he let out a sharp gasp. “It hurts.” He whined quietly. 

    Tears were slipping out of Keith’s eyes, “I know. I know, I know. It’s okay. I’m right here with you, okay? You just-you just gotta stay with me, okay?” He said shakily. “Hold on, Keith!” Allura shouted over the speakers. “Keith. I gotta tell you…” Lance mumbled, but Keith instantly shushed him. “No. No, none of that.  _ None of that, we are not doing this right now.”  _ He said. “Tell my people I love them.” Lance said, and Keith let out a low, heart-breaking sound as more tears slipped down his cheeks, “ _ Lance, no, you gotta tell them yourself. Please, please, you can’t-you can’t do this to me, please- I can’t lose you, I can’t, I need you to be okay.”  _ Keith cried, pain and anguish and terror consuming him.  _ Please please please-  _ “They  _ have  _ to know before it’s too late.” Lance whispered. 

_ “No-! Babe, please- _ “ Keith begged, but quickly cut himself off. 

He tried to take a deep breath, but found that he couldn’t, because he was gasping way too quickly. “Just listen to me, okay? You gotta-Hey, can you look at me? Please, babe?” He asked. Lance lifted his head slightly, and Keith met his blue eyes. “Hey. Hey, there you are. Just focus on me, okay? You’re gonna be fine, I promise. All I want is for you to keep looking at me, okay? Keep talking to me. Keep talking to me, sweetheart.” Keith said, trying to smile. But he only trembled, unable to do anything but keep Lance pressed against him, “Okay.” Lance mumbled. Keith furiously grasped for something to keep him talking. “The stars! Hey, why don’t you tell me about the stars? Can you name them for me?” He asked. “You already know them.” Lance mumbled. “Keith! Where are you!” Allura shouted. “Keith?” Lance asked softly. “Hold on a second, okay, sweetheart?” Keith said. 

  “Allura! We’re in the docking bay! Hurry, he’s losing a lot of blood!” He shouted before quickly looking back at Lance. “Go on.” He said. “I won’t ever love anyone like I love you. Ever.” Lance whispered. A noise came out of Keith as he choked on a sob, “ _ Blue…”  _ he whispered in anguish. Blackness was closing in on Lance’s vision. “Name me the stars.  _ Please.”  _ Keith begged. And so, as his vision faded away, Lance started naming the stars he knew. 


	7. Chapter 7

Keith’s pained scream for Lance was indescribable, still echoing through the halls when the others finally came and put him into a cryo pod. Keith had collapsed in hysterics, his right hand and Blade suit bloody. His desperate begging for Lance to wake up didn’t stop by the time the others came, continuing to wail for Lance. He was consumed by his anguish and agony, blocking out everything else. And the one thing that matched his terror and pain for Lance was his  _ fury. He is going to kill Lotor,  _ _ and _ _ his generals.  _ “I don’t understand. What happened?” Pidge asked. “I don’t know. Keith had called out, saying Lance was badly hurt. I’m assuming he got shot.” Allura said. 

  The others were talking quietly, trying to figure out what to do, as Shiro had gone off with Lotor, following with the generals. Keith felt someone touch his shoulder, but he did not react, sobbing. Krolia knelt beside him, “Keith...Keith, he’s going to be fine. He’s strong, you know that.” She said gently. Keith shook his head, a low, pained whine escaping him. “I put the pod on critical. It’s going to work harder than ever to heal Lance quickly in such a short amount of time.” Allura said. This drew Keith out of his self-destruct, “Whatever it takes for him to be okay. He just-he needs to be okay. We need to go after Shiro.” He said. He needed to take control. He needed to be there for his team. He wiped away his tears, standing up.

“But who’s gonna fly the Black Lion?” Pidge asked.

“ _ I  _ will.” Keith said, taking off. 

He put on his Paladin suit and ran to Black’s hangar. “Coran, keep me updated on Lance’s vitals. Tell me if anything happens to him, and when he wakes up.” Keith called out. “You got it!” Coran called back on the speakers. He got into Black, flying out with the others. “Okay. You guys need to take care of Lotor’s generals. I’ll go after Shiro.” Keith said. “Keith, we can’t deal with them on our own!” Pidge said. “You have to! Lance is badly injured, we need to improvise without him for a bit until he heals!” Keith shouted. “We’ll do what we can! Just get him quickly!” Allura said. Keith took off, following the pod that Shiro took. “Coran, what’s Lance’s status?” He asked urgently. “Still in critical condition, but the pod is working very hard. He’ll be fully healed within a few  _ doboshes.  _ I’ll give you a way for you to see his vitals yourself.” Coran said into his helmet. 

  Keith was suddenly hit with  _ déjà vu.  _ This situation was way,  _ way  _ too identical to when Lance had harshly slammed against Red’s main controls when they crashed head on to that big meteor.  _ Blood on his hands, on Keith’s. So much blood.  _ Keith’s breath hitched when the screen of Lance’s vitals came up, showing that Lance had lost a lot of blood. Keith was vaguely trembling, his heart clenching. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “He’s fine. He’s fine. He’s strong. He’ll be okay.” He whispered. He then jerked Black’s controls forward, and she picked up her speed. 

He wasn’t expecting Lance to be out so quickly when he got Shiro.

Coran had said he tried to contact him to tell him about Lance, but communications were lost. Or rather, Shiro had knocked off Keith’s helmet when they were fighting. When Keith contacted the Castle of Lions, he saw Lance, still looking scarily pale. Lance had the most biggest smile on his face. “Keith! You’re okay!” He said.  _ And you are too.  _ “Did you find Shiro?” Allura asked, beside Lance. “I did. But it’s not Shiro. The Shiro that took Lotor was a clone.” Keith said. Allura and Lance shared a worried look, and Keith silently sighed. “It looks like Lotor’s heading back to you guys. I picked up his Sincline ships on my radar. I’m on my way, but without a wormhole, it’s gonna take a while. You guys need to do whatever you can to delay Lotor from getting into the quintessence field.” Keith said. “He won’t be getting in there. But Keith-!” Lance said, and Keith stopped before he could end the transmission, looking at Lance. “Yeah?” He asked. 

  “You’re hurt. Did-did Shiro do that to you?” Lance said, looking worried. Keith shook his head, “I’m okay, don’t worry about me right now. Just focus on Lotor. Take it easy.” Keith said. Lance hesitated for a few seconds before he reluctantly nodded. “Okay.” He said. Keith ended the transmission, flexing his fingers. “Shiro, if you’re here, I could really use your help. I need to get to the others before Lotor.” Keith said urgently. 


	8. Chapter 8

Lance was pinned down in the control room by Romelle, who was shouting something about getting revenge for her brother. Lance was still way too weak to fight her off, trying to get air into his lungs. He could hear Keith yelling into his helmet, and knew he was coming. The Castle alarms were blaring, and Lance knew he was running out of time. If he didn’t get out within the next 2  _ doboshes,  _ he would be destroyed, along with the Castle. Romelle has his broadsword to his neck, and a noise caught Lance’s attention. Keith was viciously slamming his sword through the locked door, but Romelle didn’t seem to notice. “What are your last words, pretty blue?” She asked. 

   “Vol…” Lance choked out. Romelle’s grip on him lessened in confusion, “Wha-“ But then Keith’s roar came from outside, “ _ TRON!!” _ He bursted through, eyes yellow, fangs bared, and skin purple. He ran at Romelle with a snarl, throwing her off Lance. Lance gasped, air coming back into his lungs. Keith sent Romelle flying back, and quickly ran to Lance, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. “Come on! We gotta get outta here!” He shouted, pulling him with him. They got out of the Castle in time in Red, as Allura decided to pilot Blue while Keith went in to get Lance. 

It was terrible to watch the Castle get destroyed, the only thing closest to home that they have known for a  _ long  _ time. 

The Lions took off. “Are you okay?” Keith asked Lance urgently. He was beside him, leaning against the chair for support. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He said. Keith took his hand, squeezing it. “Guys, listen up. We need to land somewhere, try to figure out how to help Shiro.” He said, getting the attention of the others. Once they found a planet to land on, they all gathered around Shiro, who was motionless and still. “His essence is in the Black Lion. This body is empty. We have to find a way to put his essence into it.” Keith said. Lance’s breath hitched, “He...he tried to tell me but...I didn’t realize.” He said softly. Then he suddenly fell to his knees, trembling. “I’m sorry, Shiro. I-I didn’t know. I could’ve-“ He cut off, crying. Keith’s heart twisted, and he was about to reach for Lance, but Allura was already there, touching his shoulder. 

   That got him to stop, looking up at Allura. She suddenly walked toward Black, putting her hands on her metal surface. Purple lines suddenly appeared on Black’s face, flowing toward Allura. They all watched her as she began to glow purple, and she suddenly pulled back, going to Shiro and kneeling at his head. She placed her hands on his head, and suddenly Shiro began to glow purple too. His hair turned fully white. He suddenly gasped as his eyes flew open, and he bolted upright, coughing. Then he slowly fell against Keith, who wrapped him in his arms, wide-eyed. Everyone cheered, and Keith saw Lance staring at him, teary-eyed and upset. He gave him a comforting smile, his heart reaching out for him. 

They hadn’t had a proper reunion. 

After seeing Lance nearly die...especially for  _ him _ ...he really just wanted to hug him and never let him go. “Well, there’s only one place that has the blueprints to create a new Castle of Lions. Coran gave them to my dad.” Pidge said. Keith gently set Shiro down as he got up, looking at the expanse of space as he slightly smiled.  _ Don’t lose hope. We  _ _ will _ _ go back soon.  _ The memory of his promise to Lance came across his mind. He would finally be able to actually do it. So when they all took off, heading toward Earth, Keith put Red on autopilot, standing up. “Keith? What are you-“ Lance began to ask, but was cut off when Keith pulled him into a careful hug. He’d have to hug him again when he was better. Lance instantly embraced him back, “Heh...miss me that much?” He asked. “More than you think.” Keith said softly.

  Lance’s breath hitched, “I missed you too. So much.” He whispered. Then he shakily laughed, “Look at you, you’re just as tall as me. That’s not right.” He said. Keith laughed as well, “Shut up.” He said. They stayed like that for a while, both slightly trembling. And just like that, they were both crying. “God, you  _ stupid, Blue idiot. I thought you were gonna die, why did you jump in front of me?”  _ Keith whispered. “I’m sorry, I know I’m stupid. I’m sorry.” Lance whispered shakily. “If you ever do that again, I’m going to  _ kill you.  _ And then I won’t get to marry you, and we won’t get to be together for eternity, and-“ They both started laughing as they cried, still clutching each other. 

_ Please don’t die before me. Please don’t.  _

Keith pulled back, his hands going on Lance’s cheeks, wiping his tears away. Lance whimpered, trembling under his fingers. “I thought I was never gonna see you again...” His voice was high-pitched with both happiness and pain. “Hey…I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” Keith said softly. Lance looked at him, and Keith smiled. “C’mere.” He whispered affectionately, pulling him in closer and gently kissing him. Everything else fell away. The only thing that mattered to him right now, in this moment, was Lance. His Blue mate, and his fiancée. He pulled back, lightly nuzzling him as he softly purred in affection. Lance sniffed, but he was smiling, turning red. Keith suddenly began to kiss him all over his face, earning a small giggle out of him. “Stop it.” He said, his smile growing even wider. 

   Keith laughed, resting his forehead against Lance’s as he continued to purr. “We’re going home.” He said. “Yeah. Just like you promised.” Lance said softly. Keith smiled, “You still remember.” He said. “‘Course I do. I held onto what you said; it stuck with me. Especially you saying that you would take me back just to get my smile back onto my face. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” Lance said. Then he turned red again, “Oh, and uh...thanks. For the gift.” He said. “Oh, you found it?” Keith asked. Lance pulled back, taking out the red ring hidden under his shirt. “Yeah. I haven’t shown it to the others yet. I kinda told them we’re engaged.” He said. Keith’s eyes widened, “Wha-we were supposed to tell them together, Lance!” He said. “I know, but after I found the ring, I couldn’t hold it in! I even told Lux and Koda!” Lance said. “Wh-you even talked to Lux and Koda?!” Keith asked. 

“I wanted to see how she was doing! Pidge was asking me more about Treyiv, and she reminded me that I-well,  _ we-  _ hadn’t talked to her since we left!” Lance said. 

Then he bit his bottom lip, “Are you-Are you mad at me? For telling everyone?” He asked anxiously. Keith couldn’t even take that look on Lance’s face, softening. “No, of course not, Blue. It’s okay, you got excited.” He said. Then he smiled and took his hand, their fingers intertwining. “I am too.” He admitted shyly. 

  Lance smiled back as they both began to turn red. “You never once doubted your decision while you were on your mission?” He asked. “Nope. I could never even  _ think _ about it.  _ Ever.”  _ Keith said softly. “Well, neither did I.” Lance said. Then he suddenly reached down and fondly kissed him, “I love you, Red. A lot.” He whispered. Keith purred even louder, his smile widening. “I love you too, Blue. A lot.” He whispered affectionately. 


	9. Chapter 9

Keith could sense Lance was anxious. Not only that, he could  _ hear  _ how anxious he was. He was quietly tapping his foot and tapping his fingers on Keith’s seat. They were only a day out towards Earth. It would take a while for them to get back without a wormhole, and without the Castle. “Hey, relax. Why don’t you go sit down? You still need to heal.” Keith said gently, looking up at him. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sit down if I know we’re finally going home, Keith.” Lance said. Keith slightly smiled, “Calm down, Blue. Go sit, sleep a little bit. It’ll take a while for us to get to Earth, no doubt about it.” He said. 

  Lance looked ahead for a few seconds before he reluctantly nodded. “Okay. Wake me up in a few so we can switch.” He said. “Don’t be ridiculous. You need to rest, you’re in no condition to pilot.” Keith said. “I’m just piloting, that’s it.” Lance said. “Lance, it’s okay. You’re my top priority, nothing else matters to me. I’m really worried about you, babe. You came out of the cryopod way too early, and you still look a bit pale. You shouldn’t be exert yourself so much. So just let me pilot.” Keith said. “Keith…” Lance began, but then sighed. “Fine. Just don’t keep me sleeping for  _ too  _ long. Promise?” He said quietly. “Fine. I promise.” Keith said as he nodded, slightly smiling at him again. Lance kissed his head before his warming presence left him, making him feel a bit cold. “Is he okay?” Hunk came in over the comms, sounding concerned. 

“Yeah, he’s fine. He was just trying to tell me to switch piloting with him, even though I wouldn’t get tired. Plus, I can’t really let him do that.” Keith said in amusement and affection. 

_ “Hey!”  _ Lance’s voice of protest came from the back. “Sorry, Lance!” Keith called back to him, laughing. “He’s a little anxious to get home. He’s been doing okay so far, considering his way too quick recovery. I’m keeping a close eye on him, like always.” He added to Hunk. “Don’t worry, Lance! This little detour will pass away like nothing!” Hunk called out. “Thanks, buddy.” Lance called out, but now he was sounding exhausted. “All right, Lance, enough talking. Go to sleep.” Keith called back to him. Then his smile faded, and he looked back, seeing Lance’s figure laid down on the back seats, his chest rising and falling. “Keith?” Hunk asked knowingly, his voice quiet. “He needs to sleep. It’ll help him gain some of his strength back. But I... _ we  _ need to find out how to help him completely recover.” Keith said, worry clear in his voice towards the end. 

  “What do you suggest?” Pidge came in. Keith breathed in, and slowly let it out as he continued to look at Lance. “I don’t know. We’ll figure it out.” He said softly.  _ “Hey, how’s your neck?” Lance asked softly. Keith motioned, and Lance’s blue eyes glittered with worry. “You say you’re fine, but you don’t look like it. That damn Galra nearly choked you to death. I had a nightmare about it.” He said softly. Keith touched his arm, motioning in confusion. “Yeah, I did. And it felt  _ _ so _ _ real. I should have known it was actually happening.” Lance said. Keith motioned again, trying to get him to understand. “It  _ _ is _ _ my fault. You protected me, and he took you. He should have taken  _ _ me _ _. I’m supposed to protect you too, that’s how it works.” Lance said softly.  _

_ Then his breath hitched, and Keith saw his face twist, “You nearly died because of me. I can’t...I can’t...I can’t lose you. I can’t. We either get out of this together, or we die together. And I want to get out of this with you, because I’m not having it any other way. I  _ _ won’t. I love you too much. _ _ I love you, okay? And I can’t-“ He cut off, tearing up.  _

_ Keith reached out and cupped his face, trying to calm him down. He didn’t want to see his mate upset like this. “You can’t do this again. You can’t. I swear to God I will kill you if you try to do anything like this again. You damn Red idiot, you gave me a freaking heart attack.” Lance said shakily. Keith was trying to apologize, trying to tell him he was okay. He knew Lance felt very guilty. Just as guilty as  _ _ he _ _ had when Lance’s hands were way more badly damaged. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry…” Lance suddenly whispered painfully. Keith pulled him closer, embracing him. He softly purred, trying to console him. “I know you’re okay. And I’m so freaking glad you are, you have no idea how grateful I am that you’re okay.” Lance knowingly whispered, softly. And then tears began to slowly slip down his cheeks.  _

_   Keith touched his forehead to his own, purring even louder. He then gently kissed his cheek, which made Lance go still. He then sniffed, “Do that again?” He asked softly. Keith obliged, kissing his temple. Lance began to turn red as he continued to gently kiss him all over his face, until he finally let out a small laugh, wiping away his tears. “That makes me feel a bit better.” He said softly. But then Keith leaned in again, and gently kissed him. He was a bit nervous to do so, even though they had already kissed when they finally confessed to each other. He pulled back way too quickly, nervous and red-faced. Lance stared at him, concerned. “What’s wrong?” He asked softly.  _

_ Keith quickly motioned, trying to tell him nothing was wrong.  _

_ Lance smiled, “Aw, don’t be nervous. You’re so cute, Red, don’t think you’re gonna overdo it badly.  You won’t.” He said. Then he leaned back in, “Hey...you’re my mate. I love you, okay? A lot. Nothing will ever change that. Plus, you made me feel way better.” He whispered affectionately. Then he kissed him, making Keith twitch in surprise. He then returned it, his affection and love for Lance coursing through him and overwhelming him. He pulled back, and motioned.  _ _ I love you too. A lot. _ _ Lance turned red, his smile widening.  _

_ - _

“Keith?” Lance’s exhausted voice came out from the back, and Keith instantly turned to him, seeing him lift his head. He got up, going toward him. Lance didn’t seem as if he had woken from a nightmare, rather disoriented and half-asleep. “Keith?” He mumbled again, starting to push himself up, but Keith gently put him back down. “Shh, shh...Go back to sleep, Blue.” He whispered gently, kissing his head. Lance’s breath eased, and he instantly fell asleep again. Keith kissed his forehead, watching him for a few seconds as he brushed his fingers through his brown locks. He softly sighed as a small, fond smile came to his face, warmth surging through him. He purred loudly with powerful affection, and lightly brushed his face against Lance’s. 

 Lance unconsciously pressed back, his fingers slightly curling around Keith’s hair. Keith reluctantly pulled away, sitting back in his seat. “How’s Lance?” Allura’s concerned voice suddenly came over the comms. “He’s doing okay. He made me promise not to long ago to tell him whenever I started to feel pain after being choked by a Galra, so I made him make the same promise. Plus, I would have sensed something was off. But he’s okay. He’s strong.” Keith began, but went soft toward the end as he slightly smiled. “Of course he is. Why wouldn’t he be?”Allura said. He then heard her pause, as if trying to figure out how to say something. “You sound tired too. You should put the Red Lion on autopilot and sleep for a bit. We’re all doing the same thing, since we’re very wiped out from all that happened yesterday.” She said carefully. 

But Keith nodded, only because he  _ was  _ exhausted, heaviness taking over his body. 

“All right. Everyone get a good rest. We’ll dock on Olkari or some other ally planet to get some supplies tomorrow.” He said. The others agreed, and Keith put Red on autopilot as he turned off his comms, slowly rubbing his face. He stood up, making his way to Lance and dropping beside him, pressing closer to him as he breathed in his familiar scent. And then, in a second, he was out cold. 


	10. Chapter 10

They don’t wake up immediately. Keith’s arms around Lance tighten, wanting more of his familiar warmth. Lance presses closer, and Keith let out a soft purr, burying his head more into his chest. A few more minutes later, he’s first to wake up again. Lance follows a few seconds after, rubbing his eyes. He mumbled a soft greeting, lightly pressing a tired kiss onto Keith’s cheek. “You’re not supposed to be awake right now, Blue.” Keith mumbled, but he’s smiling, affectionately nuzzling him. “You didn’t even sleep for that long.” Lance mumbled back. “Lemme go, I need to see where we are.” Keith said amusingly, trying to pull away. But Lance’s grip on him tightened, “No.” He said. “Lance.  _ Lance, come on.”  _ Keith said. 

  Lance let out a whine of desperation, “ _ No, stay with me.”  _ He begged tiredly. “Lance, don’t you beg me like that-Lanc- _ Blue!”  _ Keith protested as Lance gave him tired puppy eyes, which made him look even more adorable. “Oh my god, you big baby, let me go! I’m going to come back, relax. I’m still tired too.” Keith said, finally pulling away. Lance grumbled something incomprehensible, curling into himself. Keith rolled his eyes, more out of fondness, as he went to his controls, seeing their destination. Olkarion was still 2 or 3 _ vargas  _ away. The others still seemed to be asleep, so Keith made his way back to Lance, planting a kiss on his nose as he wrapped his arms around him. “You’re such a stupid, Blue idiot.” He whispered amusingly. “Yeah, but I’m  _ your  _ stupid, Blue idiot.” Lance whispered back. Keith pressed closer against him, a purr rumbling inside him. “Yeah. Yeah, You are. But that’s part of why I love you.” He whispered softly. “I love you too, Red.” Lance mumbled.

And with that, they both fell asleep again. 

“Keith? Keith!” Allura’s voice broke through the comms, startling Keith. He got up and carefully pulled away from Lance, seeing Red pull up a screen of Olkarion. “What’s going on, Allura?” Keith asked as he stood up, heading toward his seat. “I know you were still asleep. Sorry to wake you. But we will be reaching Olkarion within 20  _ doboshes  _ or so, and I know you would have wanted to be told about that.” Allura said. Keith rubbed his face, fully waking up as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Right. Thanks, Allura. Is everyone else awake too?” He said. “Yes.” The way she says it makes it seem like she wants to say more. And somehow, Keith knows what she’s going to say, so he says it for her. “Except Shiro.” He slightly clenches his jaw, worried. 

   “All he has to do is wake up. I’ve been keeping a close eye on his vitals. He doesn’t look so good. If he doesn’t wake up soon...we might lose him.” He said softly. A light hand came on his shoulder, and Keith twitched as he turned, seeing that Lance was awake, coming up beside him. “What’re you doing up? Go sit down, you need to conserve your strength.” Keith said. “I’m fine, Keith. It’s okay. We’ll be landing in a bit anyways.” Lance said. Then he slightly softened, “I didn’t want to hear you sound so troubled. Shiro’s gonna be okay, you know that. This is just a simple fall out compared to the other, many things he’s been through.” He said. Keith reached up and took his hand, their fingers entwining. “Hopefully. Thanks, Blue.” He said, giving him a small smile. 

When they landed on Olkarion, Keith watched as Krolia pushed Shiro out of Black, Blue following her. 

Krolia brought Shiro closer to Keith, and he peered over the glass case, seeing his appearance. He still looked the same, his chest moving up and down, but he was not awake. Keith felt Lance shift against him, his hand suddenly pulling away and coming around his arm instead. “Uh...Keith.  _ Keith. Your space wolf is coming up to me.”  _ He said in a high-pitched voice. Keith looked, seeing Blue leaning towards Lance curiously. “Relax, he’s not gonna hurt you. He might look big but he’s actually such a softie. He’s just trying to smell your scent.” Keith said. He then looked at Lance, who was hovering behind him. “Why don’t you say hi? I know you’ll like him, and he’ll like you.” He said, gently taking Lance’s hand off his arm. 

  He watched Lance slowly step toward Blue before he turned back to Krolia, who was smiling. “What?” He asked. Krolia shook her head, “You’re very different with him.” She said. Keith had told her a bit about his and Lance’s time together, not only when they had crashed on Treyiv, but also when Keith had first sworn to protect Lance and how for months it had mainly just been them two together, especially on missions. That time seemed so long ago. He told her about how he had fallen hard in love with Lance during that time, and how his feelings for him grew even more stronger while they were on Treyiv. She did not know they were mates, or that they were engaged. She only knew they were together. Keith only gave her a half-smile before turning back to Lance, seeing he was carefully petting Blue. “See? Told you he’ll like you.” Keith said. “Well, uh, he’s okay too.” Lance said, pulling his hand back as he backed toward Keith. 

Keith’s smile grew, “Relax. All right, everyone, listen up!” He said amusingly before raising his voice, calling everyone’s attention. 

“We’re here to let our lions rest while we get supplies. We’ll be here for a bit, so there’s no rush. We’ll come back here when we’re done, all right? All right. Head out.” He said. The team separated, and Keith turned to Krolia, “the leader of Olkarion is Ryner. If you head to the headquarters, she’ll be there to greet you and take Shiro off your hands. I’ll go get him before we leave.” He said. Krolia nodded before going off with Shiro, Blue glancing at Keith before following her. Keith took Lance’s hand again as they headed into the city. “And you. You should follow them, you shouldn’t be exerting yourself.” He said to Lance. “Uh no. I’d rather stay with you, thank you very much. I’m also feeling very fine, so stop worrying about me.” Lance said. 

   “Lance.” Keith stopped, turning to him. “I’m fine! I promised I’d tell you if I was in pain, and I’m not, honestly!” Lance said. Keith stared at him, searching him. He  _ was  _ better than he had been when he was in the cryopod. “Are you sure, Lance?” He finally asked quietly. “Yes, I’m sure, Keith. I’m staying with you. Please.” Lance said determinedly. Keith sighed, “Fine. Just cause I’d rather you be by my side than have something else happen to you.” He said finally. They walked into the city, hand in hand. They hadn’t told anyone from the Coalition of their engagement. No one knew except the team. “Did you tell your mother anything about us?” Lance suddenly asked. “Some stuff, yeah. About us on Treyiv. She does know we’re together, but that’s it.” Keith said, nodding. 

He then turned to Lance, swiftly kissing his cheek. 

“I’ve got nothing to hide, I’m proud you’re mine.” He said softly. Lance blushed, “I’m proud you’re mine, too.” He said fondly. “Blue and Red Paladins!” A few high-pitched voices were shouting, catching their attention. They looked to see a few children running toward them, tugging at their hands and pulling them away from each other. Keith looked at the young Olkari, who were beaming up at him. “Come on, tell us! When will you marry him?” They asked. Keith’s eyes widened, and he nervously laughed. “Tell us, tell us! We want to know, everyone wants to know!” One of the young Olkari claimed. “Everyone, huh?” Keith asked.  _ What on Earth-  _ Obviously, everyone in the Coalition knew they were together. The only person in the Coalition who knew they were  _ mates _ was Kolivan. 

  Keith looked at Lance, who glanced back at him, red-faced. Even when they were both sure of their soon-to-be marriage, they were  _ nervous.  _ It was natural, as it was with any couple who were to be married within a few weeks or so. Then Keith smirked, “Oh...soon.” He teased.  _ More like in a few days or so.  _ Lance turned even redder, and the children giggled and squealed before they took off. “You and I both know it’s not actually soon.” Lance said. Keith turned to him, “We don’t need to tell  _ everyone.  _ Just immediate family. Plus, they’ll like the surprise.” He said. Then he took his hand and pulled him closer, “I can’t wait for when we get home, though.” He whispered, smiling. “I can’t either.” Lance whispered back. They continued to walk through the city, getting supplies they needed. A flitting shadow caught Keith’s sharp eye, but when he looked, there was nothing there. 

“What is it?” Lance asked curiously.

“Thought I saw something.” Keith said. But as they went on getting more supplies, Keith’s skin began prickling in alarm.  _ Someone’s following them.  _ “Lance, we’ve been tagged.” Keith said under his breath. He felt Lance stiffen beside him, but visually he stayed calm. “Are you sure?” He asked quietly. “I can sense them. I’m not sure who, though, it’s not an Olkari.” Keith said. “What if it’s-“ Lance began to say, but Keith quickly cut him off, “ _ No _ . No, no way. It doesn’t feel like it is. He’s all the way on Treyiv, there’s no way he could’ve escaped.” He said. He saw the shadow again, and suddenly let go of Lance’s hand. “I got an idea. We go into the alleyway. They’ll surely take the bait.” He said quietly before going off to the side and into the alleyway, Lance following him. 

  After a second, the air shifted. Keith whirled around, catching a slim wrist. He was looking down at a young child. An  _ Earth child.  _ It was a boy, no more than 5 or 6 years old, with curly dark brown hair and blue eyes. “Gah! Let go of me!” He cried. Lance gasped, “Keith?” He said. “I know. Who are you? What are you doing on Olkari?” He asked. “I-I’m Liam. I was looking for my parents. You-you two looked like them.” The kid, Liam, said. “Where are they?” Keith asked, letting go of him. “I-I don’t know. I-I was just walking around, and then they were gone. I looked for them for a few minutes, but they haven’t shown up yet.” Liam said. Surprisingly, he wasn’t hyperventilating or starting to cry like Keith thought he would for such a small kid.  _ Brave, isn’t he?  _ “Okay. That’s okay. We’ll help you find them. Do you know who we are?” Keith said, touching his skinny shoulder. 

Liam nodded, “You’re the Red and Blue Paladins of Voltron. My parents tell me a lot of stories about you, and Voltron.” He said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys if you know who the kid is going to be don’t say anything...


	11. Chapter 11

Keith thought hard, confused. No one on Earth  _ knew  _ of Voltron. Was this kid...an Amarite? Where were his marks? His multi-coloured/different coloured eyes? “Don’t you remember? The young Amarites don’t have marks because they’re too young to bond with a mate. His parents probably disguised the eye that’s different to protect him for some reason.” Lance said knowingly, thinking the same thing. “So your parents are Amarites, then?” Keith asked Liam. Liam stayed quiet for a few seconds before nodding. “Yeah. We came here for some reason, but-but I don’t remember.” He said. “Okay. That’s okay. You’re okay now. We’ll find your parents.” Keith said gently. Liam nodded, and Keith stood up, beckoning him to follow them back outside. “Keith.” Lance said quietly. “I know. I know. We’ll find them. They couldn’t have gone far.” Keith said. 

  As they began to search the city, Keith looked at Liam again. He was following close behind, timid and looking on edge. For some reason, Keith suddenly thought of Lance. His nervousness was very similar to Liam’s. “What are your parents’ names?” Keith asked. “Um...Lux and Koda.” Liam said. Keith stopped, looking at Lance with wide eyes. “They probably watch over him a lot. I think we’ve got an orphans on our hands, Keith.” Lance said softly. “I should contact Lux.” He then said before walking away, bringing out a communication device. “What’s he doing?” Liam asked. “He’s just going to see where they are.” Keith said. Then he looked at him, “Stay here, okay? Don’t go anywhere.” He said before going to Lance, peering over his shoulder. Lux was on the screen, “Hey Lance! Oh, hey Keith! What’s going on?” She said. 

“Hey Lux, I just need to tell you something really quick. Keith and I found something of yours. And Kodas. He says you guys take care of him. Liam? He’s got dark brown hair, blue eyes?” Lance said.

Lux frowned, “Liam? Oh, you must mean Kai! Oh, yes, Koda and I mostly take care of him because he’s an orphan, but he has other Amarites taking care of him as well. I taught him to say a different name to strangers. Oh gosh, please tell me he’s okay, Koda and I have been looking everywhere for him! We’re both so worried, gosh, I had no idea he had been left here! Koda and I are coming right now to retrieve him.” She said. “No, no, it’s okay, Lux. We’ll bring him to you.” Lance said. “He’s our responsibility, Lance, you don’t need to do that at all.” Lux said, shaking her head.

  “It’s okay, Lux. We’ll bring him to you, we found him.” Keith said. “Are you guys sure?” Lux asked. “Yeah, we’re sure. We’ll see you in a bit, okay?” Lance sod. Lux sighed, looking troubled. “Okay. Okay. Thank you so much, guys. Thank you.” She said. “Consider it a repaying for everything that you’ve done for us.” Keith said. Lux slightly smiled, and the communication ended. Lance sighed. “Okay...Okay, okay...maybe she and Koda were here for business. They brought him along for some reason.” He said, turning to Keith. Keith crossed his arms, looking at Liam, or rather, Kai. “Yeah. Maybe. We have to take Red. He’s the fastest.” Keith said. Then he looked at Lance, “He looks...an awful lot like you.” He said quietly. 

Lance looked at Kai, “Yeah, he kinda does, actually. Except he has lighter skin.” He said.

He looked at Keith, “It’s so weird. I’m getting such a weird feeling whenever I look at him. Are you getting that too?” He said. “Yeah. The whole thing is just so weird.” Keith said softly. “I need to tell you something.” Kai suddenly spoke up. They both looked at him, seeing him taking a deep breath. “I’m...not actually an orphan. I know where my parents are. They  _ are  _ right here.” He said. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Keith asked. “I told Lux to lie because I wanted to  _ make sure  _ that I was right. And I am. I told her and Koda to bring me here so I could get a chance to meet you, and somehow, today, I did. I found my parents.” Kai said. Keith shared a confused look with Lance, not understanding. “Where?” Keith asked.

   “Right here!” Kai said, slightly smiling. “What do you-what does he mean? What does he-“ Keith did a double take when he realized that Kai was gone.  _ Wha- All he did was look away for a second!  _ “What the hell just happened?” Lance asked. “Guys! Guys, it’s okay, I found him!” Lux’s voice came in, and Lance took out the communicator. “Lux, what the hell? Can Kai teleport?” He said. “What? No! He was here in the ship the whole time! Oh gosh, I’m so sorry, guys, I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Lux said. “Then-what the hell-Did we just hallucinate him?? What was he-what the hell-“ Lance stuttered as he looked at Keith, utterly confused. Keith shook his head, not understanding. “I don’t know. I don’t know why you hallucinated him.” Lux said, sounding confused as well. “This doesn’t make any sense!” Lance said. “What doesn’t make any sense?” At the sound of Pidge’s voice, they both whirled around, seeing her and Hunk come up to them. Keith explained what happened with the young Amarite, and the two became just as confused as he and Lance were. 

“What the Quiznack? And you guys didn’t touch anything or do anything?” Pidge asked. 

“No. Obviously, something happened, but we don’t know what.” Lance said. Pidge frowned, fixing her glasses. “Well, I’ll try to figure it out while we head back home.” She said. As they headed back to their lions, Keith and Lance were quietly talking as they went into Red. “It was so weird how he said his parents were right here. There were just Olkari all around us. I even looked.” Lance said. “I think we might be a  _ bit  _ sleep deprived.” He then said. Keith touched his arm, slightly rubbing it. “This whole day has been a bit weird. Go get some rest. You’ve been walking around long enough.” He said. Lance suddenly leaned into him, wrapping his arms around him. Keith sighed, pulling him closer. “How you feeling?” He asked softly. “I’m okay. I’m still a bit shaken up from Romelle attacking me, but I’m okay.” Lance said. 

   Keith could feel his fingers going through his hair, and he relaxed, despite how tense he had been since their weird situation with the young Amarite. “What about you?” Lance asked. “I’m okay too. And so is everyone else, including Shiro.” Keith said. “God, I can’t get it out of my head that the kid we saw was a hallucination.” Lance said, suddenly pulling back. Keith shook his head, sitting in his seat, “We’re gonna find out what’s happening.” He said. They took off from Olkarion, heading back to space. 

He sensed Lance fidgeting beside him. 

“Lance?” He said. “I just can’t stop thinking about it. It doesn’t make sense,  _ at all.  _ I’m trying to figure out what on Earth just happened, and I just can’t. I can’t, it makes absolutely no sense.” Lance said. “Look, just go rest, okay? Let’s just wait for Pidge to come up with something.” Keith said. “Are you sure? Why don’t you let me pilot this time?” Lance asked. “It’s okay, Lance. You need to rest. I promise, we’ll switch when you’ve gotten some more sleep.” Keith said. “Okay.” Lance said quietly. Keith sensed his warmth leave his side, but then he quickly called to him on impulse. “Hey, wait.” He said softly as he stood up, going toward him. He pulled him down and gently kissed him, trying to calm him. 

   He pulled back, “Don't worry, Blue. We’re gonna figure this out.” He said softly, resting his forehead against his. “I’m not  _ that  _ freaked out about it. It’s just way too weird.” Lance said. Then he slightly smiled, “But I know.” He said, kissing his cheek. Keith let out a small purr, pulling away. “Go on. I’ll wake you up in a bit, I promise.” He said amusingly. Lance walked to the back, and Keith watched him for a second before sitting back in his seat. “Pidge, give me something to work with.” He said. “All right. I think I might have the solution. In your time on Treyiv, how did you act around the Amarite children?” Pidge came in over the comms. “Why are you asking?” Keith asked, confused by how that was related to the situation. “Just answer the question, it’s what’s gonna help me work out my theory.” Pidge said. “I mean, I never let them get within 5 feet of Lance and I.  _ Especially Lance. _ It took me a while to be okay with them. You know I’m not particularly good with any sort of kids.” Keith said. 

“And what about Lance?” Pidge asked. 

“You’re asking me how  _ Lance is like?  _ Do you not know him? He  _ loves  _ kids. He instantly took to the young Amarites, and always tried to tell me to not be so threatening to them. He was really sweet with them, very playful. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t want a kid himself.” Keith said. Then he froze, realizing what he said.  _ Wait.  _ “This is gonna sound really upfront, but...do you want kids someday too?” Pidge asked carefully. Keith was instantly ready to completely go over the question. But something in him made him stop. Keith felt his breath rush out of him, “I don’t know how to deal with kids. How would I do it with my own?” He whispered. Then he shook his head, “I...I don’t know. Maybe.” He whispered softly. He almost thought Pidge hadn’t heard him, but then he heard her shifting. 

  “Okay. This makes much more sense now. You two  _ did _ hallucinate Kai. There’s actually a child named Kai on Treyiv that Lux and Koda take care of, but obviously something about him is different than the one you saw. You two hallucinated him because you’re starting to think of having a family. Maybe there was some sort of shift in the space time continuum, allowing-not Kai, but- a  _ kid  _ that you two will adopt one day in the future to approach you. I don’t know why, though. Fate works in mysterious ways.” Pidge said. Keith stayed quiet for a few seconds, letting Pidge’s words sink in. “Then why did you and Hunk see him too?” He asked quietly. “I don’t know. Maybe we help you guys or something. Don’t think too much about it, though. We’ll most likely all forget about it or something, somehow.” Pidge said. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fear. Pain.

__ So that was what happened. They forgot about Liam. They forgot that the whole event even occurred. The only thing that Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk remembered was getting supplies from Olkari. That was it. After a few hours or so, Keith got up, stretching. He made his way to the back, seeing that Lance was in a deep sleep. He sat at the edge of the seat, gently nudging him. “Lance. Hey. Hey, wake up. I told you I’d let you pilot for a bit.” He said. When Lance didn’t instantly wake up like always, Keith gently shook him again. “Hey. Come on, get up. Or else I won’t let you pilot.” He said. Then he slightly smiled, “I’m kidding, I’d never break my promise like that. C’mon, Blue.” He said, leaning down and kissing his temple. But when Lance still didn’t react, Keith’s smile fell. 

   “Lance. Lance. Hey, come on, stop playing around. Stop acting, I’m being serious.” He said, fear starting to rise inside him. He shook him a bit more urgently, his voice becoming sharp. “ _ Lance. I swear to God, stop it. Stop it right now, you’re being ridiculous.”  _ He said. But when Lance didn’t break into a smile, or start laughing, or even do anything, Keith’s heart dropped as he began to panic. “Oh my God.  _ Lance _ . Lance! Come on, wake up. Why aren’t you waking up?” He said frantically as it dawned on him that something was terribly _ , terribly _ wrong with Lance _.  _ He searched him, but didn’t find anything that could have caused this. 

He quickly looked for a pulse, and found one, making his fear drop a bit. 

“Oh God. Oh God, you’re still okay.” Keith breathed. “Guys! Guys, something’s wrong! Lance isn’t responding to me!” He then shouted. “What? What happened?” Allura, Hunk, and Pidge came in over the comms, horrified. “I don’t-I don’t know! He won’t answer me, he’s not waking up! I can’t sense anything wrong, I-I don’t-He’s still okay, but I-I don’t know what’s wrong!” Keith said frantically, panicking. “It must be because of his quick recovery. He  _ had  _ been in critical condition. His body must’ve shut down.” Allura said. “Wha-Then why didn’t I sense it?!” Keith asked. “It worked through him slowly, you wouldn’t be able to know until it happened.” Allura said. “Guys, we need to land somewhere. I need to help him.” Keith said. Then he suddenly ran to Red’s controls, pulling him back. “I’m going back to Olkarion! You guys go ahead without us!” He said.

“Keith, are you sure?” Pidge asked. “Yeah, I’m sure! Don’t worry, we’ll be right behind you when we're done!” Keith said. 

“But that could take forever!” Allura said. “That doesn’t matter!  _ Lance  _ matters! Do it!” Keith said. He pushed Red’s controls forward, making him go faster. Once they landed on Olkarion, Ryner helped him get Lance into one of the healing pods. He explained to her what happened, and she nodded. “I see. It’ll take him a while to fully recover. A few hours at most. It’s necessary since he had healed way too quickly. Perhaps something happened.” She said. She then left him. Keith put his hand on the glass, looking up at Lance. “Come on, Blue. Fight it. You have to fight it, please.” He whispered. His breath hitched, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, I should have  _ known.  _ I’m so stupid. I thought you were okay. And then the next second, you weren’t.” He said softly. 

  He then dropped his head before lifting it again, “You have to fight. Please. I can’t let this happen again. You have to be okay. You have to be okay, please. You’re my Blue mate, you’re the most strongest person I know. You can fight this, I  _ know  _ you can.” He said. He would not leave him. “Keith, how is he?” Allura’s voice came into his helmet, which was at his feet. “He’s gonna be okay. Where are you guys right now?” Keith said. “We decided to wait for you on the Balmera.” Allura said. “What? Why?” Keith asked. “We didn’t want to go to Earth without you two. Isn’t that what Lance would want? To be there with specifically you, Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro when we finally touch down?” Allura asked. Keith stared up at Lance, unconsciously fiddling with his ring. 

“Keith?” Allura’s voice got him out of his thoughts. 

He shook his head, “You’re right. Are you guys sure about this?” He said. “We’re sure. We’ll see you both here when Lance has fully recovered.” Allura said. Keith pressed his hand onto the glass, letting out a breath. “I’m going to _ kill  _ you if you ever do anything like this again. You scared me. I thought you were playing a joke on me.” He whispered.  _ Keith saw Lance’s bayard get thrown out of his hands before he went flying back, hitting the floor. His eyes widened when he saw the strong sentry aiming his blaster at him, and he quickly ran, using his sword to deflect the shot before embedding it into the sentry’s chest. He turned to Lance, holding out his hand, “You all right?” He asked. Lance slapped his hand away, getting up. “What the hell was that?!” He asked angrily, his blue eyes glittering. Keith frowned, confused, “What?” He asked.  _

_    Lance picked up his bayard, “You jumped right in front of me! What the hell’d you do that for?!” He said. “I’m protecting you, Lance. That’s what I’m supposed to do.” Keith said. “You weren’t supposed to jump in front of me!” Lance said. “I swore to Shiro, and myself! I swore to  _ _ you _ _ a few weeks ago that I would protect you no matter what, because we’re a team! That’s what a team is for! I didn’t want you to get shot, Lance!” Keith said. “And what if you hadn’t blocked it? You can’t just throw away your life like that!” Lance said. “I’m trying to protect you, Lance. That’s my job. I don’t understand. What’s wrong?” Keith said, his tone softening a bit toward the end, sounding concerned.  _ _ Concerned?? _

_ “Lance, if this is about how you feel guilty, don’t. I decided to do this. I decided to stay by you, to have your back. I know you didn’t want me to, but I did. And me protecting you doesn’t mean you can’t take down the sentries that come our way; you’re an excellent shooter, and a strong fighter. You’re one of the strongest I know.” He said, crossing his arms.  _

_ Lance stared at him, wide-eyed. Keith looked around, “Look, we have to get out of here. Come on.” He said before walking away. Lance followed him, confused. Did Keith just...praise him?  _ It was around afternoon when the pod made a beeping sound. Keith startled, confused and alarmed. “Ryner, what is that?” He asked. Ryner went to the holo-screen hooked up to the pod, and her eyes widened. “I-I don’t know. Give me a second to find out.” She said before her fingers went flying over the screen. Keith looked at Lance, his heart speeding up in growing fear. “Come on. Come on, what happened? You were doing so well.” He whispered. “He’s gone into shock! It must be an after-effect from shutting down!” Ryner said. “What?!” Keith said, his eyes going wide as fear hit him. “He’ll stabilize by himself. The pod will help him. Give him a second.” Ryner said. 

  Keith watched as the pod continued to beep, his breathing quickening. “You can’t do this. You can’t do this to me. Come on.  _ Lance, please. You can’t. You can’t.”  _ He whispered. When the beeping didn’t stop, a soft whine of desperation escaped him, “ _ Blue…”  _ He begged, his fist lightly hitting the glass as he pressed his forehead against it. And after a few heartbeats, the beeping finally stopped. Keith went weak, letting out a shaky breath. He was shaking, tears in his eyes. “He’s fine. He’s stabilized. No more of that. The Blue Paladin is a very strong fighter.” Ryner said. 

_ “I know. I know.”  _ Keith said softly, forcing himself to calm down, to take a breath.

_ He’s so strong. So strong.  _ “You need rest, Red Paladin. He’ll be out soon.” Ryner said. “No. I’m not leaving him. I  _ won’t.”  _ Keith said. Ryner came to him, “You have been watching him since you brought him here.” She said. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until he’s out. You know why.” He said.  _ Lance was his  _ _ mate _ _.  _ He would do absolutely  _ anything  _ for him. To protect him.  _ “You killed that Galra for me.” Lance said after they had gone back to the Castle. Keith was cleaning the blood off his Galra knife, but stopped to look at Lance. “I swore to protect you no matter what. I will do anything and everything to keep you safe. That’s my job. That Galra hurt you. He was going to  _ _ kill  _ _ you. And I was  _ _ not _ _ going to let that happen. I would rather  _ _ die _ _ than let that happen.” Keith said, his purple eyes glittering with deadly seriousness. Lance felt his heart jump.  _


	13. Chapter 13

The pod beeped, catching Keith’s attention.  _ The pod was opening.  _ His eyes widened, and he backed up as the glass disappeared. Lance gasped and fell forward, but Keith quickly caught him. “Keith.” Lance breathed out, clutching him. “Hey. Hey, Blue.” Keith said softly, relief overwhelming him. They stayed like that for a good few minutes, drinking in each other’s presence. “What happened?” Lance finally asked. Keith pulled back, touching his cheek. “You shut down. I came to wake you up so you could pilot, but you weren’t responding. I brought you back to Olkarion so you could properly recover. The others are waiting on the Balmera.” He said. Then he let out a breath, “You scared me. I thought…” He trailed off, his grip on him tightening. 

  “You went into shock. I thought I was going to lose you…” He whispered shakily. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Red.” Lance whispered. “Don’t you ever do anything like that to me again. Do you understand? I’m going to turn out like Shiro with my hair all white ‘cause you keep doing this-“ Keith began, and Lance burst out laughing as he nodded. “Okay. Okay, okay, I won’t. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He said, pulling him closer and gently kissing him. “Oh God, you’re shaking. Red. Red, relax.  _ Relax,  _ I’m okay. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I scared you. I didn’t mean to do that.” Lance pulled back, murmuring to him gently. “No...no, it’s not just that… _ God, I’m so glad you’re okay. You’re fully recovered. You’re okay. I knew you would be.”  _ Keith said softly. 

Lance let out a small breath, touching his forehead to Keith’s. 

Keith could feel Lance’s hand going through his hair, and the familiar motion was calming him down.

“Lance…” he said softly. He drew back a bit, kissing his forehead. “Babe. I want us to finally go home so we can spend the rest of our lives together. Especially with the others. I want us to settle down, to be a family.” He whispered. But then he burst into flames when he realized what he just said. Lance’s eyes widened, and he was pretty sure that he had figured it out too. “That wasn’t-“ Keith began, but then Lance widely smiled, his blue eyes glittering with happiness. “It’s way too early to talk about us having kids, isn’t it?” Lance affectionately teased. Keith somehow went even redder, “Oh God…” he breathed, but then Lance kissed him again, startling him. “Yeah. Yeah, I want that too one day.” He whispered, pulling back. 

   Then he laughed, “Relax, babe, I’m teasing. You’ve gone speechless. That talk won’t come for a while.” He said playfully. Keith could only shake his head, pulling away. “Blue Paladin! What a sight for sore eyes! You’ve awoken!” Ryner’s voice caught both their attention, and they looked to see the Olkari leader coming to them with a smile on my face. “Yep! I’m as good as new!” Lance said, flashing his famous grin. “Yes, I see. And you feel perfectly fine?” Ryner said. “Oh yeah. Thank you, Ryner. I owe you for helping me. I’ll find a way to repay you.” Lance said. “Oh, no need for that, Blue Paladin. I’m just glad you are all right. I believe you two must head off now, if I’m not mistaken. We will see you soon.” Ryner said, smiling. “Yeah, we will see you. C’mon, Keith. We gotta go catch up with the others.” Lance said, saluting before walking past Keith. 

“You go ahead. Get Red ready. I just wanna thank Ryner too.” Keith said. 

Lance nodded before he went off. Keith looked at Ryner, “Thank you. Thank you so much. I would have lost him if it wasn’t for you.” He said gratefully. Ryner smiled again, “You love him. You got him through it too. In all my time, for as long as I have been living, I’ve never seen a bond as strong as the one between you and him.” She said. Then she crossed her arms, “Go on. Your team is waiting for you.” She said. He nodded at her before walking away, heading into Red. He stood beside Lance, who was in the pilot seat, stretching his arms. “All right, boy. Let’s go meet up with the others!” He said, pushing his controls forward. Red took off from Olkarion, towards space. 

   “Whoo, it’s good to be back!” Lance whooped, making Red do a few flips. Keith smiled, warmth surging through him. He reached out and touched Lance’s shoulder, “It’s more than good.” He said. Lance looked up at him and smiled, his face turning red. Once they landed on the Balmera, the team ran toward Lance, embracing him. “You’re okay!” Hunk cried, ruffling his hair. Keith smiled, crossing his arms. “We’re so glad you’re alright, Lance. We don’t know what we’d do without you.” Allura said. Keith came to Krolia, “How’s Shiro?” He asked quietly. Krolia motioned for him to follow her into Black. Instant dread hit him as he obeyed, touching Blue’s fur as he followed beside him. “Is...is he okay?” Keith asked Krolia. “I don’t know. But the Princess said she wanted to talk to you about the pod. I don’t want to alarm you, but she said something was wrong with it.” She said, frowning.

Keith looked at Shiro in the healing pod, worried. 

“Keith.” Allura’s voice caught his attention, and he whirled around to see her coming up to him, the others behind her. “I-I don’t understand. What’s wrong with the pod?” Keith asked. Allura walked past him, lightly resting her hands on the glass of the pod. “The pod needs to be recharged. Without the Castle, healing pods only survive for a good few  _ vargas  _ after being fully charged. We need to find a way to recharge this pod, or else it will stop working. It’s only got a few  _ doboshes  _ or so left.” Allura said. “So what can we do?” Pidge asked. Vaguely, Keith heard Coran talking about Yelmores as he frowned at Shiro, worried. His skin prickled, making him realize that someone was coming beside him. 

   A light, familiar hand touched his shoulder, making him twitch. He didn’t have to look to know that it was Lance, trying to comfort him. “Hey…” Lance’s voice was gentle, soft. Keith looked at him, meeting his soft gaze. “He’s going to be fine. We’re going to go find what we need to help him.” He said. Keith knew that he was worried too, though. He knew how much Lance idolized Shiro and cared for him. Keith turned to him and touched his shoulder, “This isn’t on you. All right? Nothing that happened is your fault. You couldn’t have known.” He said softly. Lance’s eyes glittered with guilt, but he nodded before pulling away, “Stay safe.” He said quietly. “You too.” Keith said. And then Lance was gone, with the others. The only ones left were him, Krolia, Allura, and Blue. “Will he wake up before the pod runs out of power?” Keith asked quietly, turning around to Allura after a bit of staring at the door where Lance and the others had gone. “Maybe. Maybe not. We will see.” Allura spoke softly, sounding small. 

“Hopefully. You have no idea what he’s done for me.” Keith said. 

At some point, something went wrong. The blue that had been glowing around the figure on the glass representing Shiro’s body turned a soft yellow, alarming Keith. “What’s happening?” He asked. Allura stayed silent, looking at the figure. “The clone is rejecting Shiro’s consciousness.” She then said, and Keith never heard her sound so defeated and helpless. Keith’s eyes widened as he looked at her, “What? No! There has to be something you can do!” He said. She didn’t look at him, keeping her eyes on Shiro. “I cannot.” She whispered. Keith looked at Shiro, and then his mouth pulled back into a snarl, “ _ No. First Lance, and now you? I am not giving up on you. You have to fight.”  _ He growled as he slammed his fist onto the pod. 

    He was reminded of how very similar it was to when he had been begging Lance to fight, to not do this to him, no longer than a while ago. After a few heartbeats later, the figure went back to blue, and the pod suddenly opened. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *blasts “To Go Home” really loudly*

Lance practically couldn’t stop bouncing in Red’s seat as they finally began to head into the familiar solar system that he had been so longing to see for too long. He could see the familiar planets that he had once driven past in Blue with the others way long ago, the day that they became Paladins. Keith put a hand on his shoulder, “Hey. Hey, relax, Blue.” He said gently, but he was smiling. “I just-I just can’t believe we’re finally going home.” Lance said. Keith squeezed his shoulder before straightening. “Krolia. How’s Shiro doing?” He called out, opening the comms to the Black Lion. “Resting. I must say, he’s  _ strong.  _ I don’t think I’ve seen any other stronger human, even without his Galra arm.” Krolia said. Then she paused, and Keith thought he heard her mumble something, but it was way too low for even his sharp ears to catch. 

  “All right. Keep me updated ‘til we touch down on Earth.” He said instead of asking her to repeat what she said, thinking it must’ve been something she said to herself. “I think I might have said this a thousand times or so, but I really want to thank your mom.” Lance suddenly piped up. Keith looked at him, “10 times, actually. And you never said why.” He said. “I didn’t think I’d have to. I thought you knew.” Lance said. Then he looked up at him and smiled way more brightly than the stars and galaxies surrounding them. “She had  _ you,  _ obviously.” He said. Keith’s eyes widened as his cheeks heated up. “Oh.” He breathed. Then he started to stutter, “You-I-Uh-Shut up, you idiot.” He quickly mumbled, crossing his arms as he looked away from Lance. Lance laughed, “You’re so cute.” He teased affectionately, making Keith turn even redder. 

All teasing aside though, Keith was glad Lance was in a better mood. 

He and the others came back as Shiro woke up, and he had explained to them what had happened with the Yelmores. He had then put his fingers to his chin, grinning. Keith had instantly known what that Look was.  _ Lance had been trying to show off, to impress.  _ Keith had dropped his deadpan look, fondly smiling at his Blue mate. Whether it was to him, to Shiro, or to everyone, Lance didn’t need to do that. He didn’t need to impress. “Guess I’ll be thanking your mom for having you too, then.” Keith said suddenly. A startled squawk came out of Lance, and Keith looked to see him staring at him as his face turned red, his mouth open. “What?” Keith asked, nervous and self-conscious.  

   “You-“ Lance stuttered, paralleling Keith’s own reaction a few seconds ago. “Have I ever told you-how incredible you are?” He then asked, standing up. Keith stared at him as he came around the pilot’s seat, facing him. “‘Cause you’re pretty quiznacking incredible, Keith. I mean-I-Jesus-Wow.” Lance breathed out. Then he smiled, making Keith’s heart flip. “T-Thank you. That-That was really sweet of you to say.” He said shyly as he turned red. Then he suddenly leaned in and quickly kissed him, startling him. Keith then smiled, and he pulled him back in, wrapping his arms around his neck. He was quite literally exploding on the inside. He then pulled back, purring loudly. “You’re pretty quiznacking incredible too, Lance.” He whispered affectionately. 

In that moment, their racing hearts were beating as one. 

Keith finally stepped away, and Lance whined at the loss of the physical and familiar contact, nearly following with him. But Lance knew he was trying to tell him that they needed to focus on landing on Earth. That didn’t stop him from kissing his cheek in amusement, still purring. “Lead us home.” He said. Lance grinned and nodded, sitting back down in the pilot’s seat. As they got closer to Earth, Lance started bouncing again. “Where are we going to land?” He suddenly asked. Keith looked at Earth, seeing the familiar landmarks. “We’d better stay away from the Garrison for now.” Keith remarked, slightly squinting at the planet. “Why don’t we land in Blue’s cave? No one could find it even if they wanted to.” Lance suggested. 

  Keith looked at Lance and smiled, “Good idea. Tell the others.” He said. “Me? But  _ you’re  _ their leader.” Lance said in surprise, looking at him with wide eyes. “Don’t you remember us basically co-leading when Shiro disappeared? We’re  _ co-leaders,  _ Lance.” Keith said. Lance stared at him, mouth open, turning red. “Okay.” He said faintly before turning back, opening the comms. “Guys, we’re gonna land in Blue’s cave. It’s out of sight, and no one’s been there except us.” He said. “That’s a good idea. No one would even see us entering the atmosphere.” Pidge said. Lance nodded, and pushed Red’s controls forward, making him go faster. And when they began to break through the atmosphere, what Lance saw made his heart leap. 

_ No way.  _

“Is that-“ He cut off, his eyes widening. He didn’t even wait for Red to land, running outside. Keith followed him, having seen it himself.  _ It was raining.  _ Lance stood as rain fell on top of him, his arms raised. Keith came out behind him, adrenaline surging through him.  _ Rain.  _ “Oh my God...Oh my god, it’s raining….” He heard Lance whisper softly. Keith looked at him, and Lance turned to him, gasping. “Keith. Keith, it’s raining.  _ It’s raining.”  _ He whispered. Keith nodded, smiling. “It is.” He said. Lance suddenly ran to him, crashing into him. He was trembling uncontrollably, his breathing quickening. Keith tightly embraced him back as it rained even harder over them, drenching them. “We’re home. We’re finally home.” Lance barely whispered. “Yeah. Yeah, we are.” Keith whispered. 

  And then, Lance started to quietly laugh. “Oh my God…” he breathed. Keith smiled even wider and suddenly lifted him up. Lance squawked, and shrieked as Keith spun him around. They both began to laugh even louder, and Hunk and Pidge’s excited shouting were heard as well. Keith stopped spinning, setting Lance back down. They both rocked with dizziness for a second, breathless. But they never let go of each other. Both adrenalized, their hearts were racing as one. Keith kissed the side of Lance’s head, a small huff of laughter coming out of him as he purred loudly. “Welcome back, Sharpshooter.” He whispered. Lance pressed back, “Welcome back, Samurai.” He whispered. A familiar voice made them both freeze, “Wow. It’s been...way too long.”  _ Shiro.  _

Keith slightly pulled away from Lance, seeing Shiro walk out of the cave with wide eyes. 

  
Pidge and Hunk ran to him, embracing him. Keith and Lance followed, joining in. Shiro chuckled, “Hey guys. It’s good to be back.” He said. They stayed like that for a few seconds, relishing in the fact that they were reunited- _ really  _ reunited- with Shiro. They relished in the fact that they were all on Earth together. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angst? Kind of?

“Okay, guys. We’ve had a long journey. We stay in Blue’s cave for tonight to rest, wait for the storm to pass. Tomorrow, we all go our separate ways for a few  _ vargas,  _ locate our families, and then meet up in a rendezvous point. It won’t be long before the Galaxy Garrison finds out we’re back. We’ll probably be arrested and interrogated by them, and the most we can do is talk calmly and rationally. We can’t explain what’s happened in space, especially about the Galra. Not yet. Not only do we need to adjust to being back on Earth after so long, but they also need to adjust to us not being dead. Including our families. We take it slow, okay?” Keith had gathered everyone together under the shelter of Blue’s cave, addressing them all. 

   “He’s right. It’s going to feel weird for a while to be back on Earth. Nothing is going to be like we remember it. We’re all going to experience a serious case of sensory overload, because we’ll feel so out of place. It’ll go away after a while, but it will affect us.” Pidge spoke up. “Sensory overload? Well that sounds fun.” Lance said sarcastically, crossing his arms. “It’s not. Trust me. I should say that it will have a more worse effect when it comes to those of us who experience anxiety.” Pidge said. Keith instantly glanced at Lance, concern hitting him. He’d been nothing but anxious and excited since they’d begun their journey home. How badly would it affect him? When the others dispersed, Keith took Lance’s hand, catching his attention. “I’m sorry.” He said softly. 

Lance blinked at him, confused. “What for?” He asked. 

“You have to wait a bit longer to get home, and I know that wasn’t what you wanted.” Keith said. “Don’t be sorry, Keith. This isn’t your fault. Things happen.” Lance said. Keith brushed his thumb over his knuckles, “I know. But still.” He said. When night came down, the storm passed away, revealing the night sky. Lance suddenly shot up with a gasp, alarmed. He wildly looked around, only to calm down when he found that he really was where he wanted to be ever since he left to space. He was  _ really home.  _ It wasn’t a dream. He looked out the mouth of Blue’s cave, seeing that the storm had passed. His eyes widened when he saw that the sky was  _ littered  _ with stars. He turned, gently nudging Keith. “Keith. Keith.” He whispered, so to not wake the others. Keith slightly stirred, his bangs falling over his eyes. 

   Lance brushed them away, leaning in and lightly kissing his forehead. “Red. Sweetheart.” He whispered, pulling back. Keith’s eyes fluttered open, instantly landing on Lance. “Lance? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He asked, becoming aware in less than a second as he sat up, his mullet messy. “Nothing’s wrong, calm down. I just wanted to show you something.” Lance said as he reached out, fixing his hair. Keith relaxed against him and pressed for more as he rubbed his eyes. “What is it?” He asked, more quiet. “Come. I’ll show you.” Lance said, standing up and grabbing his hand, slowly pulling him to his feet. He lead him to the mouth of Blue’s cave, just barely outside. He looked at Keith and indicated to the sky with his head. “Look.” He said. Keith looked out, and his eyes slightly narrowed. “More stars.” He said with a frown. “Right? It’s the weirdest thing. I used to love star gazing.” Lance said. Then he sighed, “Now I realize that I’m so sick of looking at the stars.” He said. “I guess that’s part of the displacement Pidge was talking about.” Keith remarked.

“What do you think the new Castle will be like?” He suddenly asked. 

“Probably as good as the old one. But nothing can top the original. Probably a good training deck too.” Lance said. Keith slightly smiled, “With new things for us to set the highest scores for. A new maze.” He said. “It might be bigger, too. With a stronger shield.” Lance said. “Guess we’ll know tomorrow when we meet up with Pidge’s father.” Keith said. Lance suddenly looked at him, and turned to him. “Hey...come with me tomorrow. Meet my family.” He said softly. Keith slightly smiled, “Krolia needs to see my father. I have to show her. Why don’t we make a plan to meet up somewhere after you’ve seen your family, and you can take me to meet them?” He said. Lance nodded, “Okay. How about, uh-“ He was cut off by Keith, “My shack?” He asked. Lance’s eyes widened, “I was just gonna say that. How’d you know?” He asked. “I mean, it’s the one place we both know and have been to. It was the only thing I could think of besides the Garrison, which we have to avoid for now.” Keith said. “Okay. That’s the plan, then. How long will you be?” Lance asked. “Krolia will need time to grieve. We’ll use our helmets to communicate, all right?” Keith said. “Okay. I’ll come to get you as soon as you’re done, then. Oh wait. Where will she go when she’s done? What about Allura, Coran, and Blue?” He said. 

   “Allura, Coran, and Blue can blend in to look more human. Shiro said he didn’t mind them going with him. I...don’t know about Krolia, though. I can try to make her look human too, I guess. I think she’ll decide to stay where my father used to live.” Keith said. “I feel so bad for her. She lost the love of her life. I can’t imagine…” He trailed off, and Keith squeezed his hand, having sensed a wave of fear hit his mate. And he  _ truly _ felt the same. “Blue...” he whispered gently, a soft purr rumbling inside him as he tried to console him. “I know. Sorry.” Lance whispered. Then he slightly smiled, “We got through this together, didn’t we?” He asked softly. Keith smiled back, “Yeah. We did.” He said. Then he reached up and lightly kissed his cheek, earning a small laugh from him. 

Lance then rested his forehead against Keith’s, brushing his cheek with his thumb. 

Keith’s purring grew louder, and he pressed into his hand, wanting more of his familiar touch. “It’s okay that I’m not home yet.  _ You’re  _ my home.” Lance murmured softly. Keith smiled widely, warmth surging through him. “You’re my home too.” He said softly. He then lightly, quickly kissed him, affection overwhelming him. “We’ve gotta go back to sleep, Blue.” He whispered, pulling away. Lance nodded, “You’re right. Sorry for waking you up.” He said. Keith shook his head, “Don’t be ridiculous, Lance. I’m glad you did.” He said. Then he walked back into the cave, “C’mon.” He said, pulling Lance with him. Once they both settled down on the cave floor, they both quickly fell asleep against each other. 

In the morning, Keith was anxious. 

“Are you ready?” He asked Lance, standing with him at the mouth of Blue’s cave. “Yep.” He said. Keith crossed his arms, watching him putting on his sweater. “Lance.” He said. “Yeah?” Lance asked. Keith came closer to him, “Be careful, okay? Keep your head down and lay low. You don’t wanna get everyone’s attention, not yet.” He said quietly. “I know. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. But you be careful too, okay?” Lance said. Keith got startled when he then gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll see you later, babe.” He said, smiling at him before walking away. Keith watched him, a weird feeling tugging at him. He didn’t know it, but the sensory overload was beginning to kick in, to work on his emotions. “Yeah. I’ll see you.” He called after him. Lance looked back and smiled at him again before turning back.

    Keith slightly smiled, but it quickly faded as he fiddled with his ring, continuing to watch Lance walk away. “See you in a few hours, Keith.” Shiro called to him as he walked out of the cave with Allura, Coran and Blue. When Keith didn’t answer, he stopped, concerned. He started to walk toward Keith, only to stop when he caught sight of a departing Lance.  _ Ah.  _ “Keith!” Shiro called to him more loudly. Keith turned, “Huh? Yeah?” He asked, clearly distracted. Shiro slightly smiled, “He can take care of himself.” He said. Keith’s eyes widened, and he shook his head as if to clear it. “I know that.” He said. “So stop being such a worried wife. You’ll see him later.” Shiro teased. Keith’s eyes widened even more, and he turned dark red as he growled, “Shut  _ up,  _ Shiro.” He muttered. Shiro laughed, walking away. 

Krolia came up beside Keith, looking at him. “Are you all right?” She asked. 

“Fine. Come on.” Keith said, walking away. Krolia followed him, confused as to why Keith was so red. But she decided not to ask. “You are separating from Lance?” She asked instead. “He’s going to reunite with his family. I’ll follow him after we’ve seen Dad.” Keith said. “Is that...wise?” Krolia asked, and Keith could hear she was being careful. “Letting Lance go on his own?” Keith asked. He stopped at this, letting out a sharp breath. But then he continued on, “I’m not used to being so far away from him. That’s true. I’ve spent so many months with him, especially on our own. And I spent more on Treyiv. Lance can take care of himself. He’s the most strongest person I know.” He admitted. Then he sighed, “You should know something. Lance is my mate. And my fiancé.” He said. Krolia stopped and turned to him so fast, he got a bit startled, “He’s your  _ mate?  _ And your  _ fiancé??”  _ She asked. 

   Then she grabbed his arm, “How strong is your bond to each other? How strong?” She asked. “Stronger than anything anyone’s ever seen.” Keith immediately answered. Krolia’s eyes widened, “I  _ knew  _ you were mates. I  _ knew it.  _ Why didn’t you tell me this before?” She said. “I wasn’t ready. I was building up to it.” Keith said. “Keith. You were not supposed to separate from him. I’m already starting to sense separation anxiety from you.” Krolia said. “I can handle it, mom. Come on. We have a bit of a walk ahead of us.” Keith said before walking ahead. Krolia stared after him, wide-eyed.  _ Mom. He had called her mom.  _ She followed him, happy, but concerned for him.

As it turned out, Lance was starting to feel the same way when he reunited with his family.

“Oh mom, you’re going to  _ love  _ Keith. You’re going to love everyone else, too, but I’ve been wanting you to meet Keith specifically.” He said, shaking his head as he touched his chest, where his necklace was hidden. “You’ve been talking so much about him. I don’t understand, who is he?” His mother said, curious. “I have so much to tell you. He’s the love of my life.” Lance said. His mother gasped, wide-eyed, putting a hand to her mouth. “Is this true?” She asked. “Yes, mom, it is.” Lance said, laughing. “No way. You always said you weren’t looking to settle down yet, Lance.” Veronica said. Lance looked at her, “That time’s long passed, Veronica.” He said. “Now that I see it more clearly, why do you have red paint on your cheeks? It’s all smudged.” Veronica remarked. “You’ll see.” Lance said. His helmet beeped, and  he got up. “Now, if you all will excuse me, I told Keith I’d get him so he can meet you guys. You’re going to  _ love  _ him.” Lance said before walking away. “Can’t wait!” Veronica said. Lance headed off, playing with his ring. Something had felt wrong when he had stepped inside the house he grew up in.  _ Everything  _ had changed. Marco, Luis, and his nephews were all older now. Lance suddenly began to wonder if it was everything he knew that had changed, or himself. 

But nothing could erase the fact that his own home felt foreign to him. 

Maybe it was  _ him  _ that was foreign. Lance quickly shook the thoughts away, but anxiety was starting to build up inside of him. He didn’t know why. Seeing the familiar shack in the distance, he picked up his pace. Once he reached the shack, he climbed up the steps and knocked on the door. “Keith?” He called. “Door’s open.” He heard Keith answer, making him sigh in relief. He stepped inside, seeing Keith standing in front of a board that he had once showed him and the others a long time ago, having led them to the Blue Lion. Lance stepped up behind him, wrapping his arms around him and resting his chin on his shoulder. “Hey. What’s going on?” He murmured softly, looking at him. 

   “I was just looking at this board. Remembering. Remembering us meeting again after I got booted from the Garrison.” Keith said. Lance smiled, “Aw, really?” He asked fondly. “Yeah. I’m glad you’re here.” Keith said. “Aw. Missed me?” Lance teased affectionately. “That’s part of it. I was worried about you.” Keith said. “I got home fine, Keith. I laid low.” Lance said. “I know. And I’m glad you did. I’m glad you’re okay.” Keith said, turning to him. “How did your family react to seeing you?” He then asked. “They told me they never gave up on me. We were all crying.” Lance said, laughing. Keith smiled and reached out, lightly brushing his cheek. “I’m happy for you. I’ve honestly wanted nothing else since I started hearing you talk about going back.” He said softly. Lance smiled and pressed into his hand, wanting more. 

“Thanks, Red.” He said softly.

“Are you ready to meet them?” He then asked. Keith breathed in, “Are you sure they’re going to like me, Lance?” He asked nervously, pulling his hand away. “Keith.  _ Babe.  _ They’re going to  _ love  _ you _.  _ Not as much as I do, but they’re going to love you. They’re so curious to meet you. You’ll be fine, I promise.” Lance said. He quickly kissed him before taking his hand, leading him outside. “Don’t worry. If my family overwhelms you, I’ll tell them to back off.” He said. Keith let him lead him, anxious. Lance looked at him, “Hey, hey, relax. You’re going to be fine.” He said gently, his thumb brushing over his knuckles. Keith let out a soft breath, and despite the affect the familiar motion usually had on him, it did not do much to calm him this time. Lance lead him toward his house, looking around. “You think the Lions are doing okay?” He suddenly asked quietly. Keith knew what Lance was doing. Talking to him. 

   Whenever Keith was freaking out about something, he found that when nothing else worked, Lance would talk to him. Make him talk. It calmed him down. “We didn’t leave them too long ago. They’re fine.” Keith said, his anxiety easing a bit. “What about the others?” Lance asked. “They should be fine too. I told them to keep in contact until they finish.” Keith said. He then lightly squeezed his hand, “Thank you.” He said softly. They entered the house, and Lance suddenly leaned to him, “Do you want me to keep holding your hand?” He asked softly. Keith looked at him, and found safety in his blue eyes. The blue eyes of the boy he’d fallen so hard for. “It’s okay. Thanks, babe.” He said softly, lifting his hand and kissing it. Lance smiled fondly, his face turning red. “All right, then. Come on.” He said, leading him into the living room. “Ah. Hello, hello! You must be Keith!” Lance’s mother’s voice was heard, and suddenly she was coming out of the shadows, walking toward him. Lance nudged him, and Keith stepped up to her, holding out his hand. “Uh-H-hello, Mrs.McClain. It’s-it’s nice to meet you.” He said shyly. Lance’s mother smiled widely, “It’s nice to meet you too. Lance has told me a lot about you.” She said, taking his hand and shaking it. She then grinned and pulled him in for a hug, making all the breath rush out of him. 

Lance smiled, crossing his arms as he watched his shy mate become very flustered.

Keith awkwardly hugged her back. “Thank you for taking care of my son. For being with him.” She said softly. Keith stuttered, “Y-You’re welcome.” He said. “Wow, so it’s true.” Veronica’s voice caught Lance’s attention, and he looked to see her coming up to him, a smile on her face. “He’s actually your boyfriend.” She said. Lance slightly laughed, “Boyfriend? He’s not my boyfriend.” He said. He then pulled out his necklace, showing her his ring. “He’s my  _ fiancé _ .” He said. Veronica loudly gasped, and he turned to his mom, seeing her still hugging Keith. “Mom! Let go of my fiancé, you’re going to suffocate him.” He said. She instantly let go, her eyes wide. His other siblings stared at him, surprised. “Lance-“ Keith breathed, also wide-eyed. Lance beckoned him to come to him, and he did. He took his hand, twining their fingers together. 

  “That’s right. We’re engaged. I waited until Keith met everyone to tell you all. That’s what he and I agreed on when we were in space.” He said, looking at his family. Keith felt  _ very  _ self-aware of the eyes on him. Then the whole room erupted with excited and happy shouts. Lance’s mother loudly whistled, and Keith instantly flinched, his ears painfully hurting. “All right! Everyone calm down! We’re all very excited to hear about this, and we will celebrate tonight! But now, we must eat.” Lance’s mother said. Keith’s ear were loudly ringing. Lance’s siblings took off, and his mother came to Keith as he straightened, dropping his hands. “You will join us, yes?” She asked. Keith nodded. Lance scowled, “You scared him, mom.” He said. 

She sent Keith an apologetic smile before walking away. 

Lance turned to him, gently putting his hands on his shoulders. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly. Keith looked up at him, hit by the onslaught of being overwhelmed by so much attention from other people. The only person he liked that much attention, even more so, was from Lance. He was  _ not  _ used to the attention from his family. “Hey. Babe…” Lance murmured very gently, reaching up and stroking his cheek. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Focus on me.” He said softly. He touched his forehead to his own, distressed and worried. “Calm down. Calm down, Red. Breathe.” He forced himself to stay calm, to focus on his panicked mate. Keith clung onto him in that moment, obeying Lance. “Again. Breathe with me.” Lance said. They breathed together, as one. And Keith began to calm down, grounded by Lance, the ringing in his ears fading. “Good. That’s good. You’re okay now.” He said. 

   Then his voice dropped even more, “Do you want to leave? Because we can leave this instant.” He whispered softly. “No. I’m okay. I just-freaked out a bit. I’m sorry.” Keith finally answered quietly, which relieved Lance. “Don’t be sorry. I know you’re not used to this kind of thing. And I’m so glad you’re trying. But the way you freaked out? No way that won’t happen again. I can’t believe the sensory overload is working on you already. It’s starting to work on me too. We’re going to leave, okay?” He said. “No, Lance, don’t be ridiculous. I-I can’t ask you to choose me over your family.” Keith said, pulling away. “You  _ are  _ my family, Keith. You’re my mate. I  _ want _ to do this, because I’m worried about you. We can come back here again when we’re no longer experiencing sensory overload. Okay?” Lance said. “Are you sure?” Keith asked quietly.

“I’m more than sure. You know that I would do anything to make sure that you’re okay. Come on.” Lance said, and pulled him toward the door. “We have to go, mom. We’ll come back soon.” He called out. His mother reappeared, worried. “All right. Be safe.” She said. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My boys are a bit clingy

Keith did not let Lance out of his sight or get too far away from him. It was partly because of his growing separation anxiety, partly because of the sensory overload. Lance, very worried over Keith, was now starting to fall under the same situation. Even though Keith looked way calmer now that they were heading to meet the others with Sam Holt, Lance was still worried. “Are you okay?” He asked again. “I’m fine, Lance, I promise. Don’t worry.” Keith said. The others were waiting for them, Sam with them. “Did you guys feel all weird about being back on Earth too?” Hunk asked them knowingly. “It’s the sensory overload. The displacement. I don’t know how long it will last, but most of us should get through it within a day or so.” Pidge spoke up before they could answer. 

   She then looked at Keith and frowned, squinting her eyes at him. “What?” Keith asked, crossing his arms. Pidge turned away, “Nothing.” She said. “All right. Let’s go see your father, Pidge.” Shiro said. But as they headed off, Pidge suddenly fell into step with Keith and took his arm, stopping him. He looked at her, confused. “You’ve had an episode already, haven’t you?” She asked. Keith’s eyes widened, “How did you-“ He began to ask, but she cut him off. “I can tell. You’re starting to have separation anxiety. I assumed that would happen since you and Lance are mates, and trust me, it’s totally normal. I’m pretty sure it’s starting to affect Lance too.” Pidge said. Keith crossed his arms, “Sometimes I wonder how you know so much. What do we do?” He said. 

She fixed her glasses, “Not separate. That would be the worst thing to do, the anxiety would only get stronger. I think you two staying together should help with the sensory overload too. You two should probably just get away from all of this after we see the new Castle to take a breather. You should get it over with quickly as long as you stay together.” She said. 

Keith nodded. When they met up with Sam, he took them so see the new Castle. And it was  _ nothing  _ like the old one. But just as amazing. “Wow.” Lance breathed in awe, his eyes wide. He then gasped and turned to Keith, “Oh my God, Keith! Keith, look! Look at the new training deck!” He said, grabbing his arm. Keith slightly smiled, seeing the training deck. Lance grinned, “Let’s try it out!” He said, taking his hand and pulling him in. They came to the center of the deck, and Lance let go of his hand, turning to him, taking out his bayard. “Ready to finally get taken down, Samurai?” He asked confidently. Keith grinned, “Only if it ends with me as the winner, Sharpshooter.” He said. Lance laughed, “Oh, we’ll see about that! No holding back!” He said, and lunged at him with his broadsword, sparring with him again. It had been a while. 

   It felt good. Things felt normal. And this was part of how they would get through their situation. Keith swung, and Lance swiftly dodged it. “Not this time!” He shouted. He used the move Keith taught him that he had once not had the stance to do. And he finally took Keith down. Keith stared up at him as he whooped in happiness, wide-eyed. “Yes! I did it! I finally took you down! I finally got you!” He shouted, bouncing. Keith was breathless, pushing himself up, watching him. And then a wide smile began to grow on his face as powerful pride surged through him, consuming him. He was so lovestruck by the boy he was so proud to call his mate, his  _ fiancé.  _ Lance suddenly stopped bouncing around, having felt Keith’s eyes on him. He looked at him, turning red. “What?” He asked. Keith shook his head. “I’m so,  _ so  _ proud of you, Lance. You have  _ no _ idea. That was amazing.” He said, his voice dripping with affection and pride. 

Lance laughed nervously, “Aw, thanks, sweetheart. I did learn from you.” He said shyly, turning even redder. 

Later on, Keith did what Pidge told him to do, pulling Lance out of the Castle. “Keith! Lance!” Shiro’s voice catches their attention, and they look to see him coming toward them. “Be careful out there, all right? You don’t need to keep your heads down out here, I know you two are more than capable of taking care of yourselves. But just to stay safe, don’t let down your guard too much. We’ll go to the Garrison to reveal ourselves tomorrow.” He said. “Are you sure? They’re going to put us in interrogation, hold us.” Keith asked. “I’m sure. We have to let them, and we have to be okay with what they do. They’ll be confused, angry, maybe even scared. That’s to be expected, we know this. You got it?” Shiro said. Keith and Lance nodded, and Shiro walked away.

  They didn’t see the small smile on his face, having seen that the two were wearing their rings. “So where are we going, Red?” Lance asked, swinging their hands. “I don’t know. I wanna walk around with you. Like we used to on Treyiv.” Keith said. “Hmm. A walk through the city, huh? Romantic.” Lance said with a smile. And so, that’s what they did. They walked around, fingers entwined, talking to each other. Nervously talking about the day they were to be married. Keith realized at one point that Lance was radiating with uneasiness. He stopped, making him turn to him. “Hey. What’s wrong?” He asked, concerned. “Nothing. It’s just...being here feels so...unreal. Like I’m in a dream. Everything feels so strange, and it’s a bit overwhelming.” Lance said. “Do you wanna leave? Go to my shack?” Keith asked, instantly worried. Seeing Lance going through the same things he had before his episode made him distressed. 

He did not want his mate to go through that. 

Lance nodded, “Yeah. Let’s go.” He said. Luckily, Lance had calmed down by the time they arrived there, back to his chattery self. “Are you okay?” Keith asked quietly, crossing his arms. “Yeah. I mean, it’s just the displacement and sensory overload. You got through your episode quickly.” Lance said. Keith nodded, but he was still worried. He paced in front of him, “They’re going to separate us.” He suddenly said. “Yeah. I don’t think they should. I’d rather they didn’t handcuff you for lunging at someone.” Lance said. “No, it’s not that. It’s…” he trailed off, trying to figure out how to say what he wanted to him. “I just-don’t want to separate from you.” He muttered. “I don’t think we have that choice, Red. You said you understood what Shiro said. We have to be okay with whatever they do. And I get it. I don’t want to separate from you either, at all. But if we got through it quickly, then they’d let us go.” Lance said. 

   Keith let out a small huff, “I don’t understand why they have to separate us. And not just you and me. The others too. It doesn’t make sense, we’d already be stripped of our bayards, and we don’t have reason to attack.” He said. “I don’t know. Maybe they think we’d conspire against them to bring the Galra here.” Lance said. Keith stopped pacing, and looked at him. Lance was looking away, troubled. Keith instantly went to him, sitting beside him. “You’ve been thinking about it a lot. Why didn’t you tell me?” He realized, touching his hand. “I-I honestly didn’t think of it until I saw my family. I completely forgot about it until now.” Lance said. Keith squeezed his hand, “Lance. Look at me.” He said. Lance turned to look at him, frowning. Keith wanted to kiss it away, to get that look off his face. 

“The Galra are  _ not  _ coming here. We’re dead to them. They left the others alone. They’re too busy fighting each other, and will probably wipe each other out. Even if,  _ if  _ they did come, we would defeat them. We wouldn’t even let them get within metres of Earth. There’s nothing to worry about, so don’t think about that.” He said gently. 

That made the troubled look fade off Lance’s face. He took a deep breath, “You’re right.” He said. Then he lifted Keith’s hand up, lightly kissing it. “Thanks, Red.” He murmured softly. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready.

Was Keith able to handle being separated from Lance? Not at all. As soon as they got into the Garrison and revealed themselves, they all were separated and taken into interrogation, just like Shiro said they would. Keith instantly lashed out at the Garrison soldiers who grabbed him, tugging him away from Lance. No matter what they asked him, he would not answer. “Tell us what happened!” One of them shouted. Keith gripped his hair, closing in on himself. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. His ears were ringing again and he was completely consumed by powerful anxiety. “Just-let me see him-Let me see Lance-“ Keith growled, but the Garrison soldier cut him off. “You will see Cadet McClain when you have told us what happened!” Keith snarled threateningly at the soldier at this, about to turn Galra. The hostility made Keith  _ dangerous,  _ realizing Lance was being bared down on like this as well. 

_    It reminded Keith too much of when Lance was being targeted. Too much. _ He clenched his hands, furiously trying to control himself. And little did he know, Lance was experiencing the same thing. Freaking out, wanting to see Keith. Reminded of how he had been targeted as well. Finally, after some point, Lance was brought to Keith, and the two quickly calmed down at the sight of each other. “He started screaming.” One of the Garrison soldiers said. “Are you okay?” Keith asked Lance quietly. “Fine. Are you?” Lance said. Keith nodded, but he was still staring at the soldiers as if he was going to murder them. “Keith. Your eyes. Calm down.” Lance whispered, putting his hand on Keith’s leg, grounding him. Keith slowly dropped his snarl, letting out a sharp breath. 

Luckily, they got through their interrogation, without Keith tearing someone’s throat out.

It took a bit to calm him down after they were finally able to leave. Lance took his hand, brushing his thumb over the back of it. Keith looked at him, and Lance gave him a comforting smile, trying to get him to relax. It was nothing like when they were targeted, but it was close enough. Keith softly sighed, “It’s just-them holding us-the hostility-it reminds me too much of when you used to get targeted.” He muttered. “I know. I felt the same way. I guess the sensory overload makes us get separation anxiety too, doesn't it?” Lance said. Keith nodded, “That’s what Pidge was telling me about. Telling me that we should stay together. She said it would help to get through the whole thing.” He said quietly.

  Then he sighed again, and his tense form dropped. “I’m glad you were there. I would have turned Galra on those soldiers, no doubt.” He said. “I’m glad I was there too. They would’ve shot you down, did experiments on you. I couldn’t even bear the thought of that, I would have gone insane.” Lance said. They spent the next few minutes alone, walking around. “Lance! Keith!” Shiro’s voice came in through their comms, sounding urgent. “What is it, Shiro?” Keith asked, concerned. “We need you guys to come back to Blue’s cave, ASAP. Something’s up, you two got a mission!” Shiro said. “What-Already?” Lance asked in alarm as they ran to where Blue’s cave was. “I’ll tell you when you get here, just be quick.” Shiro said. 

When they made it to the cave, Shiro and the others were waiting for them. 

“These strange ships were shown heading here, to Earth. They aren’t recognizable at all. I want you two to intercept them, see what they’re doing all the way over here. Red’s the fastest, I know you can do this quickly.” Shiro said. “Is there any life?” Keith asked. “None that we can see. That’s why you need to get to the main control and see the ship’s information.” Shiro said. “You got it, Shiro.” Lance said, and they both went into Red, taking off into space. “You don’t recognize those ships either, do you?” Lance asked, beside Keith. “No. Let’s go find out where they came from.” Keith said, pushing Red’s controls forward. But the moment they came close, the ships started firing at them. Keith instantly pulled back, confused. “What-Are they being controlled by something?” Keith asked. 

   “Red’s not showing any other ships nearby, especially not ones that we can see. We have no idea who or what’s controlling this-Ah!” Lance said, but cried out when Red was hit, knocking him away. “Lance!” Keith shouted, but then they got hit again, and everything went black. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys this is my most longest chapter so please forgive me if it’s TOO long for you. Have fun with the angst

Keith woke up in alarm, only to be met with pain. He groaned, touching his head, feeling something wet. He pulled away, realizing it was blood. He looked around, sitting up, hearing the soft clinking of chains. He was bound. What the hell? “Lance. Lance?” He suddenly called, recalling that his Blue mate had been with him when strange ships had taken them down. They had gone on a mission, and it led them straight into a trap. A groan answered him, making his heart leap in relief. “Agh. Keith?” Lance’s voice didn’t come from the same cell as him. Keith’s sharp eyesight made him realize that when he tried to look for him.      He rather seemed to be in the cell beside him, and Keith pressed against the wall, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. “Hey. Hey, you okay?” He asked. Lance’s sudden hiss of pain alarmed him, and a dark rage instantly consumed him. Whoever had captured them hurt Lance. “Besides my possibly bruised ribs, I’m okay. Are you?” Lance said. “I’ve got a head injury, but I’m fine.” Keith said. “Where are we?” Lance asked. “I don’t know. Nothing about this ship seems familiar. We’d need to see more of it.” Keith said. Realizing something, he looked down, only to realize that he had been stripped of both his Paladin armor-leaving him in the black undersuit-bayard, and Galra blade. 

He fiercely cursed, “They took my bayard.” He growled. 

He heard Lance shift, and instantly was about to tell him to not place any more pain on himself. He needed to be treated. “Mine too. Did they take your armor too?” Lance huffed. “Yeah.” Keith said. He tried to stand up, only to collide hard with the ceiling that he hadn’t gotten a clear look at, making him let out another string of curses as he sat back down, his head pounding with the added pain. “Keith! Are you okay? What happened?” Lance sounded concerned, anxious. “I’m okay. I just-hit my head. Low ceiling. I didn’t even see it.” Keith hissed as he gingerly rubbed his head. “Be careful, you don’t want your head injury to get worse.” Lance said.  

  “You’re the one with bruised ribs, worry about yourself.” Keith said. The thought only got him more worried. “We need to find a way to get out of the chains. Find our stuff and contact the team. They must be looking for us. You gotta get into a pod.” He then said. “You need to get one for your head, too.” Lance said. “I don’t need a healing pod for my head, Lance.” Keith said. A sound caught his attention, and the door suddenly opened, making him wince at the light.“Ah, you’re awake. Finally. We’ve been waiting for you.” An unfamiliar voice sneered. It was a hooded figure, making Keith unable to see him. “Who are you? Where are we?” Keith hissed. “Ah, ah, ah. He will be asking you the questions.” The voice said. “Who’s he?” Keith asked lowly. “You will know. Come. It is time. Don’t make this hard.” The figure said. A growl rose from Keith’s throat as he stepped back, baring his fangs. “I told you not to make this hard.” The figure said lowly, and suddenly lifted his hand. And Lance began to let out cries of pain, making Keith’s heart leap in both terror and rage. “What are you doing to him?!” He roared, his skin turning purple. “If you agree to follow me, I will make the pain stop.” The figure said. Keith didn’t even think, “All right, okay! Just stop!” He snarled. The figure dropped his hand, and Lance’s cries of pain stopped. “Lance, are you okay?” Keith asked frantically , his skin becoming pale again.    

   He heard Lance let out a quiet breath, “ Yea .” He heard him say. Keith turned to the figure, his mouth curling back into a snarl. The figure beckoned to him before walking away. And Keith had no choice but to follow. The figure lead him through the halls, until they walked into a big room with two pedestals facing each other. The figure came behind Keith, pushing him toward the podium and locking him to it. A familiar grunt caught his attention, and Lance came stumbling in front of him, being locked as well.“Lance.” Keith breathed, trying to move toward him, but finding that he couldn’t. Lance came to the same conclusion, his eyes wide. Keith looked at the figure, growling. “What are you going to do to us?” He asked lowly. “Not me. Him.” The figure said before walking away. And an unfamiliar person stepped into the room. He was scarily tall, maybe more so than Zarkon, with blue skin and crimson eyes. 

Keith couldn’t recognize his species whatsoever.

“Hello, Red and Blue Paladins. I  am so glad that you two so graciously came upon my territory. I was just getting ready to play a game.” The unfamiliar person said. “Who are you?” Keith asked. “I will be asking the questions here. You do not need to know my identity. I want to play a game with you two. If you are able to succeed, I will let you go. If not, I will kill you.” The person said lowly. Then he grinned, “Don’t ask why. Because why not? It has come to my attention that you two know each other very well. I would like to test that, see how strong your bond to each other actually is. The game is simple. I will ask you both 3 questions about each other. You have 15 seconds to answer. If you are unable to answer, or get the answer wrong, I will shock the other person that is not being questioned. Do you understand the rules?” The person said.

    Keith looked at Lance, his heart pounding.“Keith. We-We have to play. We have no choice. It’s the only way we can get out.” Lance said, shaking his head. The person darkly chuckled, “I believe that is a yes. Let us begin, starting with the Red Paladin. I will start off easy, and slowly get harder. Let us see if your claims to know your Blue Paladin like no other ring true.” He said, coming toward him. Then he leaned down, “Where was the Blue Paladin born?” He asked. Keith tried to calm down, to focus. “Cuba. Somewhere around Varadero.” He answered. The person, who Keith decided to call Shadow Man, grinned. “Correct.” He said. Then he pulled back, “What is the Blue Paladin widely known as, and why?” He asked. “He’s known as the Multi-Shooter. He can wield more than two weapons with his bayard.” Keith said. 

 “Hmm. Last question. How did the Blue Paladin badly damage his hands?” 

Shadow Man asked. “He crashed into the Red Lion’s main controls. Hard. We had hit a meteor.” Keith said, his voice slightly trembling. That was a memory he did not like to recall. “Well done. You have finished Round 1.” Shadow Man said. Then he turned to Lance, going toward him. “Round 2. How did the Red Paladin get his scar, and why?” He asked. Lance leaned away from Shadow Man, “He-He got slashed by a Galra knife. He leapt in front of me to protect me.” He said. “And why did his mother, the Marmorian soldier, leave him when he was a child?” Shadow Man asked. “To protect him from these Galra sentries that were invading Earth. But he didn’t know that. He thought she abandoned him, and he didn’t know why.” Lance said. “I see. Last question. Why did the Red Paladin’s father pass away?” Shadow Man said. Keith’s breath hitched. Lance doesn’t know that. 

Lance doesn’t know that! 

    Keith himself could barely remember how his father passed! He could see Lance panicking, his breaths quickening. “He doesn’t-“ Keith began, but then the 15 seconds quickly ended, and Shadow Man turned to him. “Oh. Too bad.” He said. And then pain erupted through Keith, alighting every molecule in his body. “No!” He heard Lance wail in terror. Keith kept his pain behind locked teeth, forcing himself to bear through it. When the shocks stopped, he nearly collapsed, but furiously forced himself to stay focused. He could hear Lance gasping, “I-I didn’t-I didn’t know the answer to that! You shocked him for no reason! Oh God-Keith-are you okay?” he said shakily. Keith lifted his head, meeting his eyes. “I’m okay. It’s okay.” He said quietly. “Did I say I would get harder as time went on? My mistake. I meant that the hard questions are random.” Shadow Man darkly chuckled. 

    He then turned to Keith, “Round 3. Let’s pick up the pace a bit, shall we? Tell me, what does the Blue Paladin do when he’s nervous?” He asked. Keith breathed in slightly, “He rambles a lot; about anything. He also bounces, mostly his leg.” He answered. “Hmm. And why had he started to cry over your beloved Black Paladin?” Shadow Man asked. “He didn’t know Shiro was trying to contact him when he and the other Paladins were in the astral plane. He felt like if he had, he could’ve saved him. He felt guilt.” Keith answered. “What were his nightmares about when you were on your little Marmora mission?” Shadow Man ask. Keith frantically thought back to the day that Lance had told him about his nightmares while he had been gone. “Losing me. He had nightmares about losing me. He was scared for me, because I was away from him.” Keith quickly said.The game continued, and neither of them got shocked again. “Round 14. Why did the Red Paladin leave to first join the Blade of Marmora?” Shadow Man asked, turning to Lance. “Part of it was to find out more about the strange quintessence that he and Kolivan had found. The other part was so…was so that I wouldn’t have my insecurities confirmed. He did it because he cared about me.” Lance said.   

He and Keith were both about to break, but nothing could mistake the hope growing inside them both.

They were nearly free. “Has he told you how he crossed paths with his space wolf, Blue?” Shadow Man asked. “He told me that while he was heading toward the quantum abyss, Blue came in from space like a comet, and was being cornered by these unknown alien species. Keith and Krolia saved him, and Keith took care of him.” Lance said. “And do you know why he named him Blue?” Shadow Man asked. Lance stayed quiet, his eyes widening. “If we weren’t mates…he would have told me he named him blue because of the blue streaks on his fur, hiding the fact that…he named him after me because he missed me. It would’ve been so that Keith could hide his feelings for me. But we are mates, and he told me that he named him Blue because of me. He doesn’t hide things like that, not anymore. Not with me.” He then answered. Shadow Man nodded, turning to Keith. “It’s the final round. If you are successful, I will let you go. If you are not, I will murder you both where you stand.” He said.A glint came into Keith’s eyes, but he dared not to growl or turn purple. He couldn’t risk Lance getting hurt. 

   His head was now numb to the pain that had formally been making him suffer. Which probably wasn’t good. He could sense Lance wasn’t doing good either. He was barely able to stand, using the pedestal to support himself. “Round 15. Why did the Blue Paladin create his rivalry with you?” Shadow Man ask. “He was jealous of me. He felt inferior to me, because he was always being compared to me. He thought I was better than him, so he wanted to prove me wrong. But that’s not all of it. There’s another side to it that I didn’t know until recently. He used to have a crush on me. He didn’t know he was bisexual then, so he got scared and hid it by creating that rivalry with me so that he wouldn’t have to face his true feelings.” Keith said. “And how did that rivalry go away?” Shadow Man asked. “I showed him. He didn’t know how much I appreciated him and admired his skills. Whenever he asked me why I only trained with him, I told him it was because no one matches my skills like he does. And no one does. I knew he felt inferior to me. So I made him see we were equals instead because I wanted to be his friend. To get closer to him. That made us become friends.” Keith said. 

The Shadow Man came to him, a wicked, evil glint in his crimson eyes. 

“ And now, the final question. It’s a very simple, very easy question. Is the Blue Paladin left-handed, or right-handed?” He asked. Keith looked at Lance, seeing the desperation and fear in his eyes. This would surely haunt them both for weeks. “He’s ambidextrous. Like me. But he mostly uses his right hand.” Keith answered quietly. And that was it. They were done. They were finally free. A locking sound caught his attention, and suddenly Lance gasped in relief, stumbling away from the pedestal without his chains. He was free. “We’ve played your game. Now let us go like you said you would.” Keith said. Shadow Man chuckled, going to Lance and leading him past Keith, keeping Lance from reaching out to him.     

   “I expected the Blue Paladin to be gullible. Not you.” Shadow Man said. He pressed a panel, opening the door, revealing the vast expanse of stars. “Yes, I said you would be free to go. Only if you can escape the fire pit below, that is.” Shadow Man said. Then he kicked Lance out, sending him falling. Time slowed down as a ear-piercing wail of terror ripped from Keith, “LANCE!!!” He ferociously tugged against his chains, unable to breathe. Breaking free, he ran toward the door and jumped out, falling after Lance. Lance was screaming, flailing. Keith crashed into him, tightly clinging onto him. “Keith-!” He heard Lance gasp. Keith wildly looked around as they hurdled toward the fire pit, and caught something. He blindly, quickly reached out, only to catch onto a jutted ledge. He was gasping, trying to regain strength that he was slowly losing. “Lance-Are you okay?” He choked out, looking down at him. Lance was swinging below him, eyes blown wide with terror. “Yeah. Are you?” He asked shakily. Keith nodded, his heart racing beyond a normal rate. “Hold on, okay? Just-just hold on. There’s gotta be something here-some larger ledge, or~” Keith began, but Lance cut him off. “There isn’t! There’s nothing! You caught that ledge by chance, Keith!” He shouted. 

“You don’t know that!” Keith shouted back.

As he frantically looked around, he could feel his grip slipping from his exhaustion. He focused hard, and as quick as lightning, he grabbed his Galra blade, embedding it deep into the rock. “Keith. Keith, you can’t~” Lance began as Keith tried to pull him up, only for the knife to slip a few inches. Keith yelped in pain as something in his arm pulled, making him nearly lose his grip. They were now closer to the fire pit. “You can’t, Red, you can’t. I was trying to tell you that that would get you hurt. You can’t. It’s too much on you. We’re both badly injured.” Lance pleaded, knowing that he was now more hurt than before. Keith let out a few short breaths, trying to bear it. “Keith. Keith, you~” Lance began, but Keith is already cutting him off before he can even begin to say it. “Shut up, Lance.” He hissed through clenched teeth. “You have to! You can’t get up while your hurt, especially not if you’re holding me too! You have to let me go!” Lance shouted. “I said  _ shut up!!”  _ Keith roared in both fury and absolute, true terror. His voice echoed over the rocky walls. “Just let me think. Let me think.” He growled, but he was also begging him out of terror and fear. “Keith. Keith.” Lance’s voice broke, and Keith began to tremble, consumed by desperation and terror.

   “No!  _ I SAID NO!”  _ He roared. “You are my life! You are my heart and soul! You’re my everything! I made a promise to you! We either get through this together, or we die together! And I am not living without you! You are my life! I live for you!” He then cried tremulously.    His voice dropped,  _ “I, Keith Kogane, take you, Lance McClain, my mate, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold in sickness and in health, until death do us part. But even death will not part us. I swear to you my heart, everything that I am, to you. I give all my love, my life, and myself to you.” _ He began shakily. “No.” Lance whispered softly.  _ “I promise everything to you. I promise eternity to you. I promise to keep you safe with every draw of my breath. I promise to never, ever leave you, to give everything to you.”  _ Keith continued. “No. _ No, please _ .” Lance pleaded.  _ “I am bound to you. I belong to no one but you. I love you, Lance McClain, and I will keep loving you with everything that I am, and everything I have.” _ Keith whispered. He could see tears streaking down Lance’s cheeks, and choked noises were coming out of him.

“Lance. Grab onto me. Use me to climb up.” He pleaded tremulously. 

And as Lance began to do so, he could hear him speaking.  _ “I, Lance McClain, take you, Keith Kogane,  _ _ my _ _ mate, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I swear my heart and everything that I am to you. I give myself to you. I give my heart, soul, and my life to you. I give all my love to you. I promise to keep you safe with every breath I draw, and if you should die, I die with you. I promise to never leave you, and to give everything to you.”  _ He began and suddenly he was face to face with him, staring into the eyes of the boy that he had fallen so hard in love with.    _ “I am bound to you. I don’t belong to anyone else but you. I love you, Keith Kogane, and I will keep loving you with everything I have, and everything I am.”  _ He whispered. Keith lifted him, finally allowing him to climb onto the ledge so that he could have ground under him. He instantly began to pull Keith up,  _ “You are my life. You’re my everything.” _ He whispered as Keith knelt a few inches from him, gasping, his own face wet with tears. Lance took his face into his hands, brushing his cheeks. His cheeks that still had smudged blue paint on them.  _ “You are my heart, my soul. I breathe for you. I live for you.” _ He finished tremulously. He then leaned in and shakily kissed him. The next few seconds went by in a blur, but it ended up with them in Red, unconscious from extreme physical injury. 

    Lance was surely going to get a scar above his left eyebrow, and Keith was going to get a new scar on his right shoulder. When Red took them back to the new Castle of Lions, everyone was freaking out, worried. “Oh God. What happened to them?” Hunk asked fearfully. “We’ll have to wait for them to heal and wake up so they can tell us. Quickly. Get them to the cryopods.” Allura said. She froze when she saw that the two had been tightly holding hands, their fingers entwined. She felt her heart break at such a sweet, but crushing sight. “Break them apart.” She instructed Pidge softly. Pidge went to the two, but hesitated before she pulled their hands apart. They were then taken to the pods. “I don’t know how long they’ll be in there. Maybe a  _ movement _ or more.” Allura said.

-

_ “Lance.” Keith’s voice caught his attention, and he looked to see the raven-haired boy coming up to him, his purple eyes glittering with something hidden. _

_ “What’s up, Mullet?” He asked. Keith stood in front of him, “How are you holding up?” He asked. Lance blinked, surprised by the question. He rubbed the back of his neck, “Uh...Okay? I-I don’t know. This whole thing is hard. With bombs being planted on planets because of me...and…” He trailed off. Keith suddenly came even closer to him, placing his hand on his shoulder. “Lance, I want you to know that I’m staying by your side through this whole thing. I promise to protect you, and to keep you safe no matter what.” He said. “What are you-“ Lance began, but Keith continued.  _

_    “You’re my first priority above anything and everything else, and I will do anything and everything I can to keep you out of danger, even if it means sacrificing myself.” He said. Lance felt his heart jump. Keith looked deadly serious, staring up at him assuringly. “We’re a team, Lance. I have your back, to the end. I don’t just promise that to you. I  _ _ vow _ to you.”  _ He said. “Don’t-You sound like you're laying your life down for me. We’re a team, yeah, but it works both ways. I got your back too. Lighten up.” Lance said, a little bit nervous, lightly knocking his fist into Keith’s shoulder. Surprisingly, Keith did, slightly smiling. “Look. None of this is your fault. It’s Zarkon’s doing. If I could, I would kill him so that you can get the appreciation you deserve. People still love you. We still love you, Sharpshooter. I-“ Keith began, but then he cut off, his eyes widening.  _

_ “Yeah?” Lance asked, pressing him on. _

_ Keith stayed quiet for a few seconds. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you. I care about you.” He said, dropping his hand from his shoulder. Lance smiled, heat brushing over his cheeks. “Thanks, Keith.” He said. Then he lightly knocked him in the shoulder again, more playfully. “I’m glad you’re back. I know I’ve said it a lot, but I mean it. Things just weren’t the same without you. It’s like there was this void, and only you could fill it. I really missed you, Samurai.” He said. Keith smiled, his eyes brightening. “I missed you too, Lance. I’m also glad I’m back. And as far as I’m certain, I’m not going anywhere. Especially not back to the Blades.” He said.  _

-

“Keith!” Lance gasped, falling out of the pod. He stumbled, but quickly caught himself. He looked around, only to find Keith in a pod next to him, looking pretty pale. “Keith?” He asked softly, coming up to the pod, reaching out. “Lance! Your awake!” Shiro’s voice made him turn around, seeing him come to him with Pidge and Hunk. “Guys? Wha-What-“ He began to ask, confused, but Pidge cut him off. “Red brought you here. You’ve been in the pod for a week and a half.” She said. Shiro came to Lance, “How do you feel?” He asked. Lance stuttered, “I-I don’t-I’m fine, but-“ He said, but Shiro placed a hand on his shoulder, strong and steady. “Hey, hey, easy. You need to relax. You just came out of the pod.” He said. Lance didn’t mean to, but he pulled away, turning back to Keith. 

   “He’s supposed to get out right now too, isn't he? What’s wrong with him?” He asked, small and scared. “Lance, he had a bad hit to the head. He needs to stay in there for a few more days.” Pidge said. Lance grasped his necklace, his heart roaring in his ears. “Buddy, what happened out there?” Hunk asked. Lance shook his head, “Those strange ships...they took down Red. My ribs were bruised. There was this…alien. He-He made us play a game, asked us questions about each other. He said he wanted to see if we actually knew each other well enough as we said we did. We had no choice. We didn’t have our bayards our our Paladin suits. He said he would let us go, but he tricked us. He threw me out into a fire pit, and Keith broke free and came after me. He caught onto a ledge, and we were just hanging there. He tried to lift me up, but he pulled his arm. I told him to let me go, but he wouldn’t.” Lance said. 

Then he began to tremble uncontrollably, “That’s when he-that’s-that’s when he-he-” He broke off and began to sob, collapsing to his knees. 

He couldn’t breathe. All he could hear was Keith’s words bouncing around his head. “Lance. Lance, he’s going to be fine.” Shiro said gently. “You don’t  _ understand! You don’t understand! You weren’t there! You weren’t there when he started to-when he started to-to say his vows to me! He-“  _ Lance’s voice went high-pitched as he let out a pained, anguished whine, the sound echoing through the room and hitting the others in their hearts. “Oh Lance.” Pidge whispered softly. Although she was too young to understand love, she knew that what she saw was  _ soul-crushing _ . She knew that for Keith to say his vows to Lance, and for then to most likely go unconscious...Lance must have been  _ terrified _ . Lance must’ve thought he  _ died.  _ And for Keith to say his  _ vows?  _ “Lance...there’s something else we haven’t told you.” Hunk said softly. 

  Lance whirled around, making Hunk flinch. “ _ What? What can you tell me about him that I don’t already know? Is it something worse? What can be worse than seeing my mate in the healing pod, like this?”  _ He asked darkly, his eyes icy cold and tears running down his face. His scar stood out, newly formed and standing out against his light brown skin. “His head injury. There will be some things he won’t remember. Most likely how he got injured, and your mission.” Pidge said softly. Lance ran his fingers through his hair, and his trembling increased. “I’m sorry. Just-just leave. Please.” He whispered. And he sounded  _ so small.  _ So lost. “All right, Lance. We’ll give you your space.” Shiro said gently. And as Lance knelt down in front of Keith’s pod again, he could hear them leaving. 

A broken whimper escaped him as he put his hand on the glass. 

“I’m so sorry. I-I-I’m so sorry, Keith.  _ I’m so sorry. I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have told you to let me go. You would have fallen right with me. We’re supposed to get through this together. You’re supposed to be out here with me. But you decided to put me above you again. You decided to injure yourself further. And now you won’t remember any of it.”  _ Lance whispered, seeing his red ring on his finger. He squeezed his eyes shut, “ _ You won’t remember saying your vows to me. You won’t remember promising that we’d have eternity together. You won’t remember it.”  _ He whispered. He clutched his heaving chest, his trembling becoming more uncontrollable. “ _ Please, Red.  _ _ Please. _ _ You have to fight. You have to come back. Come back to me. Please come back to me.”  _ He cried. 

  Memories were flashing through his head.  _ “You know...when you vowed yourself to me...you literally became my knight. My courageous, selfless, loyal, raven-haired knight. You made me your prince.” Lance said, one day on the old Castle. Keith smiled, “My prince? No, Lance, your much more than that.” He said. He turned to him, red coloring his cheeks. “I made you my King.” He said. Lance’s eyes widened, an arrow striking his heart, and he turned blood red as he began to laugh. He took Keith’s hand, pulling him closer. “You flatter me,  _ _ my _ _ King. We  _ _ are _ _ supposed to be together until death do us part, aren’t we? Guess we’re literally married in royalty terms, then, my darling. I don’t know about you.” Lance said, grinning.  _

_ “Lance.” Keith breathed out in laughter, turning even redder as he put his hand to his mouth.  _

_ “What? You started it.” Lance said. “ _ _ You _ _ started it! I was being serious, and then you were being all smooth!” Keith said. Lance laughed, “Aw, am I flustering you, love? I’m sorry, but I  _ _ can’t _ _ resist. You  _ _ are _ _ my husband.” He said. Keith’s whole face turned crimson, and he was trembling with laughter as Lance pulled him closer, making him dance with him. “Not yet, Blue.” Keith stuttered. “Well, why not, Red? We can just get married here right now.” Lance said as he dipped him, smirking. “Jesus-“ Keith breathed. Lance pulled him back up, arms wrapping around his waist. Keith didn’t even hesitate this time, wrapping his arms around Lance’s neck. “I want your family to be there. And I know that’s what you want too.” Keith said. Lance lit up like a firework, touched. “Aw,  _ _ babe.” _ _ He said, warmth surging through him as they stopped dancing. He leaned in and affectionately kissed him, lovestruck.  _

   Lance could feel himself breaking apart as he sobbed, pained. “You promised. You promised me.  _ Please. Please, Red...Keith…”  _ He choked out. And then, words started tumbling out of his mouth. 

“ _ You are my sunshine… _

_ My only sunshine… _

_ You make me happy… _

_ When skies are grey…”  _ he began tremulously. 

“ _ You’ll never know, dear… _

_ How much I love you…  _

_ Please…”  _ he trailed off, gasping. 

“Please... _ don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. I need you. I need you.”  _ He whimpered as he continued to sob. 


	19. Chapter 19

Lance never left Keith’s pod. He never slept either. The whole thing reminded him of when Keith had gone on his mission, and Lance had broken down and began to hallucinate him. Although this...this was worse. Much,  _ much worse.  _ No matter how much any one tried, Lance would not move or talk. He would not eat. His eyes were red from how much he had been crying, and his throat raw from wailing. The only thing that would break him out of it was Keith getting out of the pod. Keith opening his beautiful amethyst eyes, Keith smiling at him, Keith in his arms. Keith being  _ okay.  _ He just needed to be okay. Lance still continued to beg him to wake up as the days went on, even though he himself was getting worse. 

  “Idiot. Stupid, _stupid Red idiot. I told you not to continue. I told you to stop, but you didn’t._ You didn’t listen. And _goddammit_ , thank god you didn’t. You think I’d let you go out cold like that without finishing? Without me saying my own vows in return? You were gonna have it coming for you. How dare you. How dare you, Keith Kogane. How dare you say your vows while we dangled above a fire pit. How dare you say it first, _I’m the one who quiznacking proposed to_ _you._ I can’t believe I’m _quiznacking married to you, you goddamn idiot. This is what you do to your husband. To your mate._ ” Lance whispered. He ran his fingers through his hair, “I have a scar. It starts a bit above my eyebrow and cuts through, and ends above my eyelid. I think you might like it. You kinda have a matching one on your right shoulder, but it’s a bit bigger and thicker. I-I can’t see it ‘cause of your suit, but that’s what the pod’s telling me. If it’s anything like the one on your cheek, then that...that might not be so bad.” He said softly. 

He looked up at his unresponsive mate, the pod being the only thing that told him he was alive.

“Why won’t you wake up? It’s been three days. Stop being stubborn. Come back to me.” He whispered. “Lance.” Shiro’s voice caught his attention, and he turned his head to see him walking in. “Come on. You need to sleep. You haven’t gotten any since you stepped out of the pod.” He said gently. Lance let him pull him up and lead him away, only because his limbs were not responding to him. He looked back at Keith and began to reach out, but his hand dropped. He had been chasing Keith for a long time. And on Treyiv, they had  _ finally  _ caught up to each other. But for now, Lance had to stop chasing after him. Keith wasn’t going anywhere, but Lance had to make sure. 

  He still was chasing after him, like Keith had chased him on Treyiv when they had been new mates. Lance didn’t think he’d knock out, but when he sat on his bed, he was out like a light. And in his dreams, he was chasing Keith on Treyiv. Keith’s laughter was music to his ears. “Hey, get back here!” Lance shouted. “You can’t catch me!” Keith taunted playfully. “We’ll see about that!” Lance said. Their laughter echoed through the city. Keith suddenly disappeared, and Lance skid to a stop, gasping. “Oh, so this is how it’s gonna be now?” He asked. He looked around, grinning. “Keith?  _ Keeeiiithhh.”  _ He called. No answer. He crossed his arms, “Playing hard to get, huh? No problem. I can chase you around like a lovesick puppy for a little bit longer.” He said playfully. As he looked around, he suddenly saw the young Amarite girl that had given him a flower run past him, but he quickly stopped her. “Hey! Heya cutie!” He said. 

She gasped, “Blue one!” She said. 

“Heh, hey. Listen, I’m playing a game, and I need you to help me. You remember my Red mate, don’t you? Raven hair, gorgeous purple eyes, really cute purple scar on his cheek, and just really handsome?” He asked. The young Amarite nodded, “Your teddy bear?” She asked. Lance laughed, “Yeah, my teddy bear.” He said. He heard familiar, quiet laughter, and grinned. “Have you seen him?” He asked. If he had heard him laugh, he must be close. “No. I did not.” The young Amarite said. Lance reached up and ruffled her hair, “That’s okay. Thanks, cutie.” He said before standing up, going on. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you laughing, Red. I know you’re here somewhere.” He called out. A scuffle caught his attention, making him stop.

  “You know, for someone’s who’s basically not seen or heard until an enemy’s head is sliced off, you’re making a lot of noise right now. I know your doing this on purpose.” He said as he went down one of the alleyways, only to find nothing. “You’re just hiding cause you know if we kept running, I would have caught you at one point. We’re both the fastest runners here, Red.” He said. He heard the laughter again, except behind him. “How unfair. You’re cheating.  _ I love it!  _ Damn, Red, you know how to play a good game! Wow, I love you even more now!” He said, laughing as he went to the other side. “I had a good teacher.” He heard Keith say. Suddenly, Lance felt a light kiss on his cheek, and he whirled around to see Keith running out of the shadows, laughing. “ _ Hey!”  _ Lance shouted, running after him. 

At one point, Lance had to stop, his heart roaring in his ears. 

“Jesus. You forget that I’m...I’m fully human…” he breathed, trying to get air into his lungs. “Damn...All right, I give up. You...you win...but...but just you wait. I...I will get you back.” He said breathlessly as he sat down, taking deep breaths. Keith’s laughter was heard again, “Aw. Giving up? Just like that?” He heard him ask. “Unfortunately. Sorry, sweetheart.” Lance said, way too tired to even think of the nickname he let slip out. He felt a shift in the air, as if Keith stopped, wherever he was. “That’s new.” He heard him say. “Huh?” Lance asked. And then it hit him, making his cheeks turn red. He didn’t know that Keith was coming up behind him, as he was too focused on trying to cool down. “O-Oh. S-Sweetheart? Slipped out, I guess.” Lance said nervously. He twitched when careful fingers suddenly began to run through his hair, but he did not pull away. He lifted his head, seeing Keith looking at him from above, cheeks red.  _ Whoa. His hair’s tied up. When did he tie it up?  _

   “Sorry for tiring you out.” Keith said. “That-That’s fine. I had fun.” Lance stuttered. “I did too.” Keith said. He suddenly came in front of him, holding his hand out. “We should head back to the Castle.” He said. Lance took it, pulling himself up. Their fingers instantly intertwined as they made their way back. In their room, Lance couldn’t stop staring at Keith, wondering if he had tied his hair up to make his scar stand out more. Cause it definitely did. And Keith definitely looked cute. “Stop staring at me.” Keith muttered, and Lance startled, realizing that he had caught him staring. He turned even redder, “I-I can’t. You look-You look nice. With your hair like that.” He admitted. Keith’s eyes widened, “I-I do? That-That was just because it was sticking to the back of my neck, I-I wasn’t-“ He stuttered, turning red as well, but then Lance came to him as a smile slowly began to spread on his face. 

“I think you  _ were _ trying to get me to stare. You know I love your scar. I’ve told you already.” Lance teased, leaning down and kissing his scar. 

“It’s cute.  _ You’re  _ cute.” He mumbled, pulling back. Keith turned crimson, a shy smile spreading across his face. “Stop.” He said quietly. Lance laughed, leaning in, but then Keith pulled away. “What? Am I flustering you?” Lance asked teasingly. Keith suddenly turned away, and Lance laughed even more, “You’re so adorable, Red.” He said affectionately. But then Keith turned to him again, and suddenly there was blood trailing down his temple, alarming Lance. “Even when I’m knocked out?” Keith asked. “What-“ Lance stuttered, his heart instantly flying into his throat out of panic. He backed away as everything began to disappear, and suddenly they weren’t on Treyiv anymore. They were in darkness. Keith reached for him, taking a step forward. “Lance? What’s wrong?” He asked.

   “No. No, this isn’t real. This isn’t real.” Lance whispered. Keith went still, and a soft whine came out of him, echoing in Lance’s mind. He held his arm, the one that he had pulled while trying to lift him onto the edge. Lance’s heart raced even faster, and fear began to overtake him. “Even if you’re going to lose me?” Keith asked, and Lance snapped. “No! NO!” He shouted. Then he suddenly woke up, “ _ KEITH!!!”  _ He screamed in pure terror. He was struggling against himself, letting out a wail of agony.  _ He can’t breathe he can’t breathe he can’t breathe everything is suddenly amplified and he feels like he’s under water-  _ “-nce! Lance,  _ calm down, calm down. You’re hyperventilating, calm down.”  _ Shiro’s voice was muffled. Lance grabbed him so hard, wild and shaking uncontrollably. “Lance,  _ listen to me. Listen to me. Breathe. I want you to breathe, okay? Slow down. Focus. Eyes on me.”  _ Shiro came into focus, concerned and worried. 

“Ke-Keith-“ Lance whimpered, his voice high-pitched. 

“He’s fine. He’s fine. It was just a night terror. It’s okay, Lance. Breathe. Breathe with me, okay?” Shiro said, his voice calm but strong. Lance forced himself to co-operate, to get air into his lungs. “Slow. Slow. That’s it. Breathe.” Shiro said. And slowly, but surely, Lance’s breathing began to ease, to match Shiro’s. His wildness faded as he rested his head on his shoulder, his trembling easing a bit. Tears were running down his cheeks as he began to softly cry. Shiro’s heart twisted in sympathetic pain. “Shh… It’s okay, Lance, it’s okay. It wasn’t real. Whatever it was, it wasn’t real. Keith is okay. He will be out in 2 days, maybe less because of his Galra blood.” He said soothingly. The whine echoing in Lance’s mind told him different. “Here, Lance. Take this.” Shiro suddenly said gently. Lance isn’t fully listening, but he’s opening his mouth, desperately taking whatever Shiro gave him. It’s a sleeping pill, strong enough to knock him out until tomorrow afternoon. 

   Coran has given it to him, said that this  _ exact  _ thing would happen to Lance. He had told Shiro to give it to the poor boy. And surely, within mere seconds, Lance’s trembling stops, and so does his crying. He went limp against Shiro, who clutched him tighter, wishing he could help him somehow. But he knew he couldn’t. This was something beyond him. He lied Lance back down, tucking him in. “Hunk. Pidge.” He said. The two came in, clutching their blankets and pillows. “Is he okay?” Pidge asked softly. “He should be now. I gave him a sleeping pill. He’ll be out till tomorrow afternoon.” Shiro said, nodding. He stood up and looked at them, “This is nothing like when Keith left for his mission, keep that in mind. Whether he says it or not, he needs your help. It’s good that you two want to stay here to watch over him.” He said. 

The two nodded. “We’ll do whatever we can for him. He’s our friend.” Pidge said. 

Shiro stared at her, “Pidge...are you sure about what the pod said? Keith won’t remember the mission?” He asked quietly. Pidge fixed her glasses, “Yes. He may get his memory back quickly, I don’t know how it’ll work when it comes to his Galra side. But without a doubt, he won’t remember. He’ll remember getting into the Castle with Lance to do a mission, but not what it was for. He won’t remember the rest of it.” She said. Shiro sighed, taking one last worried look at Lance before walking away. “God. It’s so horrible. They said their  _ vows  _ there. And Keith won’t remember that. I have never seen anything like this.” Hunk said softly.

   “They did say their bond was the most strongest that anyone has ever seen or heard of. It was only a matter of time before Keith being out like this would drive Lance to a night terror. It probably must’ve been a happy memory, and then something happened to Keith similar to his injuries on their mission.” Pidge said. “We haven’t told him about his scar yet.” Hunk suddenly said. Pidge found herself staring at said scar before she shook her head. He and Keith had matching scars. Sort of. “We’ll tell him when he’s awake. For now, we need to be there for him. We need to try as hard as we can, even if we can’t really understand what he’s going through.” She said quietly, as they didn’t know Lance had already found out about it. Hunk nodded, and they both settled down on the floor, quickly falling asleep. 


	20. Chapter 20

_ “Keith. Keith, hold on.” Lance said. Keith turned to him, “Yeah?” He asked. Lance smiled, his blue eyes glittering. “I didn’t do it right.” He said. “Wh-Didn’t do what right?” Keith asked, curious and confused. Lance took his hand and suddenly got down on one knee, making Keith’s eyes widen. “Lance, what are you doing?” He asked, his heart racing. “Proposing to you!” Lance said. “But you-“ Keith began, but Lance cut him off, “I didn’t do it right! It didn’t feel right, I wanted it to be perfect! So I’m doing it again!” Lance said, turning red. “Oh my God.” Keith said faintly, turning red himself, putting a hand to his mouth. “Keith Kogane, we have been together for almost 2 years, and I have loved every second of it. But it’s not enough, and I want more. I want eternity with you. So...will you marry me?” Lance said, smiling.  _

_   Keith began to tremble, and suddenly he was laughing. “I-Oh my god-“ He gasped as his face burned. He got down to his knees as he smiled widely, “Yes. Yes, you idiot, yes!” He laughed. He then leaped at him, taking him down as he tackled him with happy kisses.  _

Keith gasped, falling out of the pod. 

Strong arms were there to catch him, but not with the familiar touch that he was so dependant on. “Hey. Welcome back, Keith.” It was Shiro, sounding relieved. “What happened?” Keith asked, pulling back, looking around. “Take it easy, okay? You had a hard hit to the head, your memory’s gonna be a bit fuzzy. What do you remember?” Shiro said. “I was..with Lance-“ Keith sharply cut off, dread suddenly hitting him. “Lance. Where is he? He was right beside me, where is he?” He said. “He’s okay. He’s fine. But you have to tell me what you remember first.” Shiro said calmly. Keith shook his head, “You told us that something was wrong. Told us to go in space to check it out. I...I don’t remember the rest.” He said. 

   Shiro’s eyes flickered with some kind of emotion, too quick for Keith to catch. “Okay. That’s okay.” He said. The door opened, and Coran suddenly came in. “Ah, there you are, Keith. Come. Let me see you.” He said. Keith came to him, “Where’s Lance?” He asked. “Your mate was sound asleep last I checked, but he should be waking up in a few moments. How do you feel?” Coran said. “Weird.” Keith said. “That’s all right, you’re still trying to process everything. I’m going to tell you something, but you cannot freak out.” Coran said. “What? What’s wrong?” Keith asked, confused and concerned. “It’s about Lance.” Coran said. Keith’s eyes widened, “What do you mean? Is he okay?? Shiro, you told me he’s fine!” Keith said, looking at him. “Keith, I assure you, he is okay. I don’t know why I told you not to freak out, he  _ is  _ your mate.” Coran said, making him look at him. 

“Take a deep breath. Listen to me.” He said more gently. 

He put a hand on his shoulder, “Lance came out before you by 2 quintants. He was quite frantic about you, the poor boy, as Shiro was telling me. He was very frightened for you. He wouldn’t eat or sleep. Shiro finally got him to rest, but it didn’t last long. He had a...what’s it called, Shiro?” Coran began to say, but looked at Shiro. “He woke up screaming for you, Keith. He had a night terror.” Shiro said. “But...I don’t understand, what happened on that mission?” Keith asked, worried. “Lance wanted to talk to you about that when you got out. But Keith, when he woke up from that night terror, I had to give him a sleeping pill. That’s why I didn’t let you see him immediately. He should be coming out of it in a bit.” Shiro said. 

  Coran pulled away from Keith, “You’re doing all right. Must be the Galra blood. Go. Be there when he wakes up.” He said. Keith looked at him and Shiro before walking away, heading to their shared room. And surely enough, there Lance was on the bed, curled up. Pidge and Hunk had left after being told that Keith was close to getting out of the pod. “Lance.” He said softly as he walked toward him, sitting on the edge of the bed. He reached out and began to carefully run his fingers through his curly locks. “What happened to us on that mission?” He asked softly. Something caught his eye, and he moved Lance’s bangs, only for his breath to catch at what he saw. A thin scar, cutting down through Lance’s left eyebrow. 

“Who did this to you?” He asked softly, anger surging through him. 

He was going to  _ kill  _ whoever did this to his mate. He gingerly, carefully ran his thumb over the scar, and Lance twitched, making Keith quickly pull away. The scar must still be sensitive. He went back to running his fingers through his hair, and a twinge of pain hit him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Blue. Whatever I did affected you so much. I guess the tables have turned. I should have come out sooner, I would have been there for you. I would have comforted you, told you that whatever you saw wasn’t real.” He said softly. He leaned down and gently kissed his temple, and Lance suddenly shifted again, making him pull back. “Lance?” He said softly.  _ He’s waking up.  _ He pulled his hand back, watching him slowly come to. “Keith…” He softly mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he shifted, moving a bit. Then his eyes opened and locked on Keith’s for a split second before they went wide. 

  Lance jolted before Keith could react, and their foreheads harshly banged together, making them both cry out in pain. “Gah! Lance!” Keith said, rubbing his throbbing forehead. “What the  _ hell- _ “ Lance cried. Keith looked at him, seeing him suddenly freeze. He dropped his hand, “Keith? Oh God. I...I thought I was dreaming. I heard you talking.” He said softly. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Lance suddenly leaped at him with a cry, tightly clutching him. Keith instantly wrapped his arms around him. “Hey...Hey, Blue…” He whispered. “I’m so glad you’re out. I was begging you nonstop. God, I’m so glad you’re okay…” Lance whispered shakily. “Of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?” Keith said. Lance kissed the side of his head, “Our mission was so scary. I thought I was going to lose you.” He whispered. 

“What happened? Shiro said you wanted to tell me?” Keith asked. 

Lance pulled back, wiping his tears away. “You really don’t remember?” He asked softly. “No. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did.” Keith said. “What are you saying sorry for? You-you didn’t do anything, what are you talking about?” Lance asked, confused. “Shiro said you had a night terror about me. I thought-“ Keith began, but Lance cut him off, taking his face in his hands, “No, no, no, don’t be ridiculous. It wasn’t anything you did at all. Let me explain. There were these strange ships close to Earth. Shiro told us to go check it out cause Red’s the fastest. He knew we were capable. But it was a trap. When we went out there, the ships started firing at us. No one was on those ships, they were being controlled. They took us down, and I think Red escaped.” He said, before he began to explain.

   “We were both banged up pretty badly. My ribs were bruised, and you had a head injury. We were chained up, and we didn’t have our bayards or our Paladin armour. This figure made us follow him, and there was this other person, who I’m pretty sure was the leader of those strange ships. He made us play this game. If we won, we would be let go, and if we lost, he would kill us. If we got a question wrong, he would shock the other person. He asked me a question I didn’t know, and you got shocked. He was asking us questions about each other. He wanted to see if we actually knew each other as well as we said we did.” He continued. His hands fell from Keith’s face, drifting down his arms and taking his hands. “We were so close. When we got through all 15 rounds...he said that we’d go free if we could find our way out of a fire pit. And he took me and threw me out. You came after me.” He went on, 

“You caught onto a ledge. You tried to lift me up, but you ended up pulling your arm and hurting yourself even more. Don’t get mad, but I tried to tell you to let me go, but you didn’t. You wouldn’t. I just-you were more hurt than I was, and I-I wasn’t thinking straight. I was so scared.” 

“You-“ Keith began, and Lance’s grip on his hands tightened as he cut him off, “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. We said we’d either get through something together or die together. You...You said…” Lance trailed off, softly sighing. “You started saying your vows to me.” He said. Keith felt his breath rush out of him, “That's what affected you so much.” He said softly in realization. “Leave it to you to do exactly something like that. I even said  _ my _ vows. Then we both knocked out.” Lance said, nodding. “You just had to start saying your vows, didn’t you? Right while we were hanging off a cliff over a fire pit?” He then asked softly, tears in his eyes. “Well, you proposed while things were exploding around us. If you think I wasn’t going to do that, your wrong.” Keith said, smiling a bit. 

  “Jesus, Keith,  _ you didn’t even do it right. You don’t say your vows while we’re hanging over a cliff, dammit.”  _ Lance cried softly. Keith let out a soft laugh, pulling him in and gently kissing him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, babe. I would have freaked out too. I’m sorry.” He murmured, pulling back. He then kissed his forehead, “I’m here, though. I’m okay, and so are you.  _ We’re okay.”  _ He said softly. Lance sniffed as Keith brushed his tears away, planting soft kisses all over his face. Lance let out a quiet giggle, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Yeah. I know.” He said softly. Keith suddenly remembered something, “I wanted to ask you. The scar. Who gave that to you?” He murmured, pulling back a bit. “My-Oh-You must have gotten so mad. No one gave it to me. I think Red was firing at the strange ship, and the pit started collapsing. I got hit by a small rock. You actually have a matching one, on your right shoulder.” Lance said, and suddenly lifted Keith’s shirt, revealing the red, thick scar on his shoulder.

“I didn’t really see it until now, but I knew about it cause that’s what the pod showed me.” Lance said.

He pulled back, and Keith suddenly, hesitantly reached out, his fingers brushing over Lance’s scar. “I thought you’d like it once you got used to it.” Lance said. Keith stayed silent for a few seconds, “Well...It does fit you.” He admitted, smiling a bit. “Yeah?” Lance asked. “Yeah. It looks nice.” Keith said, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “Thanks, sweetheart.” Lance said softly. Keith’s smile grew, and he leaned in and gently nuzzled Lance. “I’m sorry I don’t remember. But I can imagine everything you told me. And it’s scary. Thinking of you holding onto me, hanging over a fire pit. More closer to danger than I was. I’m so glad you’re okay.” He murmured softly. “I’m glad you’re okay too.” Lance said, reaching out and brushing his cheek.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourselves

Lance swung his feet, fidgety. Coran was examining him, as well as Keith, to see how they were faring. “Has Shiro introduced you, Allura and Blue to the Garrison?” Lance asked suddenly. “Oh yes. It was a little strange, but it went surprisingly well. I think Commander Holt must have told them about us. They have been integrating Altean tech with Earth’s, especially into their weaponry in case the Galra should ever come here. But with them fighting against each other, it does not seem likely.” Coran said. Lance frowned, looking at Keith. But Keith didn’t look back, having been rubbing his forehead. “What’s wrong?” Lance asked, concerned. “Nothing. Just my head.” Keith said. “Yes, that will happen. It’s just the after effects. It should go away by the end of the day.” Coran said. 

  Lance touched Keith’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. “I don’t think we should be getting the Garrison involved with this, let alone the whole of Earth. The Galra are our problem.” Keith muttered. “You’ve seen what the Garrison have been doing. They’re prepared. They’ve got those new cadets. I don’t think Earth should be involved either, but you’ve gotta admit, they’re ready to mount a strong attack.” Lance said. Then he leaned closer to him, “How much does your head hurt?” He asked, worried. “I’m fine, Lance.” Keith said, pulling his hair out of his face. “How much, 1 to 10?” Lance repeated. Keith sighed, “6.” He said. “6? That’s not good.” Lance said.

Keith stood, and Lance instantly got off the table, grabbing his wrist. 

“Whoa, whoa, where are you going?” He asked. “Shiro said we need to go to the Garrison, remember?” Keith said. “To the Garrison? No, no, none of that. You need to rest, you’re suffering from memory loss.” Lance said. “Lance, I’m fine. I can handle it. We need to go.” Keith said, gently pulling away before walking off. Lance ran after him, “Keith. Keith, I’m being serious. You can’t just go walking around like this. You need to sit down.” He said. “Lance, I’m fine.” Keith said. “Keith, please. I’m worried about you, Pidge told me you had a hard hit. I don’t know what else the after effect is going to do to you.” Lance pleaded. Keith stopped and looked at him before he sighed. “If I can't handle it, I’ll go back to the Castle. Okay?” He said. 

  Lance crossed his arms, staring at him for a few seconds. “Fine.” He said quietly. They went on, heading toward the Garrison. Lance continuously glanced at Keith, worried. Shiro and the others were waiting for them outside, as well as Sam. Shiro stepped up as they came to him. “How are you guys feeling?” He asked. “Fine. What’s up, Shiro? Why are we here?” Keith said. “We’re here because I wanted to show you our newest ship that we’ve been building.” Sam said, stepping up. “A ship? I thought that was the new Castle?” Lance asked. Sam smiled, “No. I think you guys are going to like this one. I’ve been saving it for last. Come on.” He said before going inside. The others followed him, curious. “My dad’s been telling me about it for days, but he never let me see it. I can’t wait. Apparently, it’s bigger than Voltron. And it’s got a lot of heavy weaponry.” Pidge said excitedly. 

“And why didn’t you tell us about it before?” Lance called out to Sam.

“We recently finished building it. I wanted to be sure it was done before saying anything about it.” Sam said. Lance looked at Keith, seeing him tying up his hair, pulling his bangs back. “Are you okay?” He asked softly. Keith nodded, “Yeah. I told you, I can handle it.” He said. Lance suddenly reached out, brushing their hands together. Keith instantly took his hand, their fingers intertwining. Lance looked at him, and Keith sent him a small smile, trying to assure him. Lance slightly smiled back. But as they walked through the halls, pain began to wash over Keith’s head. It made him unable to focus when they got down to the hangar to see the ship. “This is the Atlas. We spent 4 years working on this big hunk of metal, giving it the most advanced tech and weaponry we have.” Sam said. They all stared at the big ship, wide-eyed.

   “Whoa. That thing is massive.” Hunk said softly. “Yes. It houses the MFE fighters, allowing them to charge up whenever they run out of energy. It can also house the Lions, just in case. It holds big amounts of weight, including supplies and humans. We haven’t tested it out yet, but I believe that with a large, powerful crystal, we can power it up.” Sam said. Keith rubbed his forehead, trying to get rid of the pressing pain on his head. Lance looked at him, and instantly got worried. “Keith?” He said, reaching out to him. Keith unknowingly turned away from him, a sharp breath coming out of him. “Keith. Keith, hold on.” Lance said, trying to steady him. Keith let out a soft groan, vaguely grabbing onto Lance before he blacked out. “ _ Quiznack-Keith!!”  _ Lance gasped in horror, catching Keith as he slumped forward. The others realize what happened as Lance quickly knelt to the floor, Keith limp and pale in his arms. “What happened?” Shiro asked. 

“I-I don’t know! He just suddenly collapsed!” Lance said, panicking. 

He reached out, brushing Keith’s cheek. “Keith.  _ Keith _ . Jesus Christ. I shouldn’t-I shouldn’t have let him come here.” Lance said. “Quickly. Let’s get him to a bed.” Sam said. When Lance got Keith to the infirmary, they said they had to take him, but Lance instantly held Keith away from them, his mouth pulling into a snarl. “No. No, you can’t.” He hissed protectively. “Lance, you have to. It’s okay, let them.” Shiro said gently.  _ They can help him.  _ Lance hesitantly let them take Keith. He reached out for him as they carried him away. “Keith.  _ Red. Keith.”  _ He called out fearfully, trying to follow them, but Shiro held him back as a soft whine escaped him. He could see the doctors in the room from the glass, setting Keith on the bed.  _ God, he looks so small. So, so small.  _ Lance clutched his own arms, gripping onto them tightly. “Lance, you have to calm down. You have to tell me what caused this.” Shiro said.

  “It’s-It’s the after effects of his head injury. His head was hurting. I-I tried to get him to rest, but he said he could handle it. It must’ve gotten worse. I-I didn’t realize that it would hurt him so much that he would black out.” Lance said shakily. “You wouldn’t have seen it coming, Lance, it’s not your fault. It hit him unexpectedly, it seems.” Pidge said. Lance shook his head, “He-He looked like he was in so much pain. I tried to steady him, but then he fell right into me.” He said. Tears suddenly pricked his eyes, “I want to see him.” He whispered desperately. “You will. You need to let the doctors work on him.” Shiro said. “When they don’t know what caused it? They don’t know what happened to him.” Lance said. “That’s why you need to tell them. They can use your info to help Keith.” Shiro said. When one of the doctors finally came out, Lance instantly asked if Keith was alright. 

“He’s going to be fine. He’s strong.” The doctor said. 

Lance clutched his chest, his heart collapsing in profound relief. “We have no idea what caused him to collapse, though.” The doctor said. “I do. We were together when it happened. We we’re on a mission, and we got captured. He got a head injury. He was put in a cryopod, and this is the after-effect, because he’s also suffering from memory loss. His head was hurting him today. It worsened as the day went on.” Lance said. “I see. Are you family to him?” The doctor said. “He’s my fiancé.” Lance said. The doctor nodded, “Well, you’ll be able to see him once we’re done, okay?” Lance nodded, and the doctor walked back into the room. Lance walked up to the glass window, lightly putting his hands on it. “He was so lifeless. So limp. I thought I was carrying a ghost, and he would...he was gonna fade away.” He said softly. Shiro came up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him as best as he could. 

  “I know you’re scared. It’s okay. I know how you feel. Adam was the same whenever the doctors operated on me because of my disease.” He said gently. Lance turned to look at him, confused, “Who’s Adam?” He asked. “He was my fiancé. Just like Keith’s yours.” Shiro said. Lance’s eyes widened, “S-Shiro...I-I never knew-“ He began, shocked, but Shiro cut him off. “It’s okay. It was a long time ago. When I decided to go on the Kerberos mission, we broke up. He’s...dead now, and I can’t change the past. I can learn from it and try to move on. And I found a way, by watching you and Keith get that happy ending. Seeing to it that you two get it no matter what.” He said. Then he slightly smiled, “Speaking of which, when’s that happening?” He asked, a light tone to his voice. 

_ He’s trying to distract him.  _

Lance stuttered, “We…talked about it a bit before our mission. We’re all still getting over our sensory overload and displacement.” He said. “That should be gone by now, actually, including your separation anxiety. It’s been a bit over a week.” Pidge pointed out. Lance let out a small, soft breath, turning back to face the window. A minute or so later, the doctors finally allowed the team to see Keith. The others let Lance go in first, to give him his moment. “He’ll be waking up soon.” One of the doctors had said. Lance walked toward the bed, carefully sitting on the edge. “Keith…” He said softly. He took his hand, lifting it up and gently kissing it, twining their fingers together. “Hey...I’m here. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” He murmured softly. The machine beside Keith’s bed suddenly beeped, catching Lance’s attention. 

   He looked up, seeing that Keith’s heart beat had spiked. His eyes widened, and he slightly smiled. “You know I’m here.” He whispered. “Hey, Red. Remind me to tell you how strong you are when you wake up.” He said shakily, with relief. He lightly kissed his pale hand again, “You’ve gotta stop making bad things happen to you. You’re driving me insane and stressing me out.  _ You’ll  _ make me go grey like Shiro first, you goddamn, stupid Red idiot. Just-Just stop it, please. This wasn’t how I wanted our return to Earth to go. It was supposed to be good, without anything like this or our mission happening. I know we’ll most likely have to go back to space soon and deal with the Galra-if there’s any left- but that’s a long way away. This wasn’t supposed to happen, and it can’t anymore. It can’t. I hate seeing you like this. You’re so small. So vulnerable. But you’re okay. And that’s what matters most, above anything and everything else.” He whispered. He suddenly leaned in and gently kissed his forehead. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Lance and Keith have played Tic-Tac-Toe in canon...  
> Also, jealous Lance is valid. This chapter is so canon

Keith slowly came to, slightly opening his eyes and meeting a white wall. White wall?  _ What happened?  _ He furiously thought hard, only to remember being consumed with pain in his head and blacking out. His head still hurt, but not as much as before. His vision came into focus as he rubbed his eyes, lifting his head. He went still when he saw that Lance was in a deep sleep on his stomach, using his long arms as a pillow for himself. He reached out and carefully ran his fingers through his brown locks, “Lance? Lance? Hey. Wake up. Wake up, Blue.” He said softly. Had he stayed up the whole night? Keith was going to kill him if he did. And Lance  _ did  _ stay up the whole night. “Blue. Lance. C’mon. Wake up.” He said, nudging him gently. 

  Lance stirred, his eyes fluttering. “Keith…” He mumbled unconsciously. Then, after a second, Keith felt him go still, and suddenly his eyes were flying open as he bolted into an upright position. “Keith! You’re awake!” He said. Keith sat up, trying to calm him down, “Whoa, whoa, slow down!” He said. Lance stared at him, his hair messed up. “You’re awake.” He said more softly. Keith dropped his hands, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m a-“ he cut off when Lance leapt at him, tightly embracing him. Keith embraced him back. “I’m awake.” He said softly. “Don’t you ever do that again, do you understand? Don’t you ever just collapse and go limp in my arms like that.” Lance said fiercely, pulling back. “I’m sorry. I’m- _ mmrph-“  _ Lance cut him off, kissing him. He pulled back, his grip on him tightening. “You’re an idiot. You’re such an idiot, but I love you so goddamn much. I can’t even be angry at you, dammit.” He said. Keith let out a soft laugh, running his fingers through his brown locks. 

“I need to tell you something.” He said. 

“Yeah?” Lance asked. “I remember a bit of our mission.” Keith said. Lance pulled back, his eyes widening. “Really? How much?” He asked. “I remember us waking up in those cells. That alien electrocuting you. Making us follow him to another room. The Shadow Man.” Keith said. “The head of the ship?” Lance asked. Keith nodded, “That’s it, though. That’s what I remember.” He said. “The rest of it should come back soon.” Lance said. He then reached out, brushing his cheek, “How’s your head?” He asked softly. “Still hurts. But way less than before.” Keith admits. Lance leaned down, kissing his forehead. “What do you want me to do?” He asked softly, pulling back. “Stay with me. Please.” Keith whispered, his fingers closing around Lance’s sweater. “Of course I will. I’m not going anywhere.” Lance said. He climbed into the bed beside him, pulling him to him. Keith clutched onto him, burying his head into his chest. “I’m right here.” Lance said, gently running his fingers through his hair. 

   Within a few minutes, the two fell asleep against each other. At some point, Shiro and the others came to see Keith, only to find him in a deep sleep on top of Lance, who was also asleep. Shiro slightly smiled, “Let them sleep. We’ll see him when he wakes up.” He said amusingly. “Aw, they’re so quiznacking cute. I don’t think Lance is allowed to do that, though.” Hunk said. “Well, he is now. Anyone who tries to tear them apart will get my bayard to their face.” Pidge said. Her protective tone wasn’t surprising, as everyone on the team could relate. The two were meant to stay together, and even though at times Shiro had to make the two separate for certain reasons, the team and him would make sure that that was how they were going to be. 

Later on in the late morning, the two were awake, playing Tic-Tac-Toe out of Lance’s suggestion. 

Lance groaned when Keith crossed out his win, smirking. “I win. Again.” He said. Lance rubbed his forehead, “How on Earth do you always beat me?” He said. He then dropped his hand, “Best out of 10?” He asked. Keith smiled, “Fine.” He said. 9 wins pass, and Keith could tell Lance was getting frustrated. On their last game, Lance was bouncing his leg, a familiar look in his eyes. One that said he thought he was going to win this time. Keith then decided that letting Lance win with that gorgeous smile of his was more important than proving that he would always beat him at the game no matter what. He put his x away from the others, allowing Lance a clear win. Lance gasped and instantly leapt forward, crossing over the win. “Yes! Ha! I beat you! I finally beat you!” He said. Keith smiled, fondly watching him boast over his win as he set his chin onto his palm. 

  “Mmhm. Good game, Sharpshooter.” He said fondly. Shiro and the others suddenly walked in. “Hey Keith. How are you feeling?” He asked. “Better. The doctor said I could leave, but Lance challenged me to a game of Tic-Tac-Toe, and I couldn’t possibly resist.” Keith said, and looked at Lance. “I finally won.” Lance said, holding up to the paper to show his victory. Pidge suddenly came up, squinting her eyes at the paper. At that instant, Keith knew she pieced it together. “But you’ve literally never beat Keith before.” Pidge said. “I know, but this time I did.” Lance said. Pidge looked at Keith, and Keith motioned for her to stop, to not say anything. But she grinned evilly and turned back to Lance. “No way you won. After 9 games, and many many more that you’ve had in the past, you just suddenly win?” She said. She reached out and patted his shoulder, “He’s Keith. He has a soft spot for you.  _ He let you win.”  _ She said. 

Lance looked at Keith, wide-eyed.

“ _ You-!”  _ He began, but Keith cut him off. “I saw you, thinking you were gonna win, and I really wanted to see you smile! I wanted to see you get all happy and excited!” He said. Lance stared at him for a few seconds before he suddenly softened, turning red. “Aw...” He said. Then he suddenly shook his head, “I mean-! Next time we play, I’m not showing you any mercy, Samurai! No wonder you were so happy when I started boasting! Let’s get out of here.” He said, clambering off the bed and coming toward him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him out of the room as Pidge cackled. Keith laughed, letting him pull him. Lance decided to take him to his house, for his family to see him and love him. When they got inside, Keith leaned to him, “After what happened, are you sure?” He asked. “Yeah. I told you, my family’s very understanding.” Lance said. 

  Veronica suddenly came downstairs, smiling. “Welcome back, guys. Especially you, Keith.” She said. Keith instantly became shy and flustered again, “Oh. Uh...thanks.” He said. “Is that Lance?” Lance’s mother’s voice was heard, and suddenly she was following Veronica downstairs, gasping. “Welcome back, my son.” She said, coming to him and embracing him. She pulled away and came to Keith, smiling. “And you. I’m happy to see you as well.” She said, reaching out and touching his arm. “Um-Thank you, Mrs. McClain. I’m-I’m glad to see you too.” Keith stuttered. Lance’s mother pulled away from him. Lance’s niece and nephew came running out of the shadows, tackling Lance. “I wanted to ask you something.” Lance’s mother suddenly said to Keith. He nodded, listening. 

“You and Lance, when did you get engaged? You were in space?” She asked.

Keith nodded, “We were on a mission together with our team, and then-and then he just did it.” He said. “From the looks of you, it seems like you would propose first.” Veronica remarked. “I was, but he beat me to it.” Keith said. Veronica shook her head, “Jeez, I just keep wondering how Lance scored a cutie like you.” She said, smirking. “Hey, back off.” Lance called out, sitting up. His nephew and niece suddenly ran to Keith, grabbing his hands. “Come play with us!” They said, pulling him with them. “Wha-But-“ Keith stuttered, slightly panicking. Lance stood up, “Hey, where are you going with him?” He called out. Nadia and Sylvio, as the kids were called, only giggled, dragging a stuttering and confused Keith into their shared room. “Wow, Lance. You got yourself a good one.” Veronica said.

   “First of all, he’s taken. Stop playing around with him, he’s mine.” Lance said. “He’s so adorably awkward, especially around kids! Not very social, is he?” Veronica said. “Not with people he doesn’t know. He’s not really a people person. He’s trying to get you guys to like him.” Lance said. “Like him? Lance, we  _ love  _ him! I can’t believe you didn’t tell us about him in your video.” Veronica said. “I wanted to wait until I came back with him.” Lance said. Veronica shook her head again, “I can’t believe you’re marrying a guy like him. I just can’t believe it.” She said. “I said back off! He’s mine!” Lance said, pointing at her warningly. Throughout the day, Lance was teased by his siblings about him and Keith. Lance continuously grew jealous of Nadia and Sylvio taking Keith’s attention away from him, and having Keith’s attention on those two evil kids. Keith finally came a while later, hair a bit messy, breathless. “I already like those two. They’re so adorable.” He said, smiling. 

_ And they got him to smile like that?! How did Keith grow to like them so quickly? _

Lance huffed, crossing his arms. “They’re spawns of Loki, don’t let them fool you. They aren’t cute at all.” He said. “Something wrong, Lance?” Veronica asked amusingly. She already knew Lance was incredibly jealous of Nadia and Sylvio, wanting his mate’s attention to himself, as well as his affection. As Keith sat down beside Lance, the two ran to him again, “Come on, come play!” Nadia begged, giving him puppy eyes. Keith lightly laughed, “I’m sorry, guys, you tired me out. Maybe later, all right?” He said, reaching out and ruffling her hair. “Okay!” Nadia said, and she and Sylvio ran off. Lance glared after them, “Evil.” He whispered. “What was that, Lance?” Veronica asked teasingly. “Shut up, Veronica.” Lance muttered. “What’s wrong?” Keith asked, slightly concerned. “Those two are not cute at  _ all.  _ You’re weird with kids, why’d you like them all of a sudden?” Lance said. 

  “They actually  _ are _ cute. I don’t know, they remind me of a certain someone.” Keith said, smiling at him. How dare him- “Oh yeah?” Lance asked, turning away from him. Keith got confused, realizing that something was wrong. He reached out and touched his arm, “Blue, what’s wrong?” He asked, concerned. Lance got up so suddenly, “I’m going to my room.” He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets before stalking away. Keith got up, reaching after him, “Lance...” He said, but Lance was already going up the stairs. He turned to Veronica, “What happened? Is he okay?” He asked, worried and confused. Veronica got up, shaking her head. “He’s fine. He just got really jealous.” She said. 

“Jealous? Of what?” Keith asked. 

“You were with those two kids for along while. He kept waiting for you to come back. Didn’t you see how he was looking at those two? He wants to murder them cause they took you away from him.” She said. She then came to him, leaning to him. “I think he got lonely, too. He wanted your attention.” She said more quietly. Keith’s eyes widened with realization, remembering that he had felt Lance’s stare on him. “Oh…” He said quietly. He then nodded at her before turning around, walking up the stairs. He looked around the second floor, wondering which door lead to Lance’s room. He caught a door with blue stars on it, and he instantly knew it was Lance’s. He walked toward it, and softly knocked. “Blue? Hey...Can I come in, please?” He called out. He could hear moving, as well as Lance’s soft breaths.  

   “Fine.” He heard Lance mutter quietly. Keith opened the door, walking inside, seeing Lance opening his drawer and taking some clothes out. He was turned away from him. Was he cleaning up his room, throwing out what was too small on him? Keith didn’t really know. “Hey…” Keith said, coming a few centimeters behind Lance. “I’m sorry.” He said. “Sorry? What on Earth could you be sorry for?” Lance asked, picking up his clothes and suddenly stuffing them back into the drawer, roughly closing it. He walked away from him, crossing his arms. “Well, for letting those kids make me play with them all day instead of focusing on who was actually important to me.” Keith said. Even though he couldn’t see his face, Keith could see Lance’s ears turn red. “You know. Goddamnit, Veronica.” He said. 

He then whirled around, his face blood-red. “They probably did it on purpose. You were just so interested in those two. I know it’s selfish of me to want your full attention on me, but can I help it? You’re my fiancé,  _ my mate.”  _ He said. 

He then looked away. Keith came to him, “Lance…” He said, reaching out to him, touching his arm. Lance hid himself even more, letting out a sharp breath. “You said it. You’re my mate, I’m yours. You’re my fiancé. I don’t know how on Earth I could have my attention on anyone else but you, sweetheart.” Keith said. “Don’t do that.” Lance muttered. “ _ Babe.  _ Hey…” Keith trailed off, making Lance look at him, but Lance ducked his head. Keith reached out anyway, running his fingers through his hair. “Blue. Sharpshooter.” He said softly, gently kissing the side of his head. “Trust me, I’d feel the same way. Wanting nothing but your full attention on me.” He said. He then smiled, “It’s actually pretty adorable that you got so jealous, too.” He affectionately teased. Lance turned crimson, grumbling under his breath. “Look at me. Lance, c’mon, look at me.” Keith said. Lance slowly lifted his head, looking at him. “There you are. C’mere.” Keith said, and pulled him in, planting kisses all over his face. 

   Lance twitched, “That’s not going to do anything. Stop it right now.” He said. Keith pulled back a bit, “But I want to show you how much I love you. My attention’s all on you.” He said before he leaned in again, his kisses becoming more affectionate and sweet. Lance sputtered, desperately and furiously trying not to laugh. “Keith-Keith, stop it. I’m warning you-s-stop-it’s not going to work-“ He stuttered, on the verge of breaking. “Ke-Red- _ Red- _ haha-! No-No, stop it! Stop it-!” He cried, unable to stop the laughter that came out of him. He finally broke down, collapsing in fits of uncontrollable giggles and laughter. “ _ Kei-mmrph!”  _ Lance cut off when Keith affectionately kissed him, bringing them both down to the floor. He then pulled away, smiling widely, cheeks red. “I love you, Lance, more than anything in the world.” He said affectionately, purring loudly. 

Lance let out a breathy laugh, trying to get air into his lungs. 

“You...God…” He was still giggling like an idiot, so deeply in love with Keith. He sighed, “Jesus, babe...I love you too, Keith.” He said, a lovesick smile coming onto his face. Keith affectionately nuzzled him, “I’m all your’s. No one else’s.” He murmured softly. Then, that’s when it happened. “ _ I, Keith Kogane, take you, Lance McClain, my mate, to be my lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold in sickness and in health, until death do us part. But even death will not part us. I swear to you my heart, everything that I am, to you. I give all my love, my life, and myself to you.”  _ He began to whisper. Lance froze in shock, his breath hitching as his eyes widened.  _ “I promise everything to you. I promise eternity to you. I promise to keep you safe with every draw of my breath. I promise to never, ever leave you, to give everything to you.” _ Keith whispered, pulling back. “You remember.” Lance whispered softly. 

  Keith nodded, his purple eyes glittering. “It all came back when we came here.” He said. “You never said-“ Lance began, but Keith cut him off. “You didn’t let me.” He said, smirking. Lance turned red, “Shut up. Get off me.” He said. Keith went back to nuzzling him, “Mhmm.” He hummed. “Are you even listening to me?” Lance asked. “Mhmm.” Keith said, kissing his cheek. Lance turned even redder, unable to help the smile that came onto his face. “Hey Red...speaking of vows...when’s that happening?” He suddenly said. Keith pulled back and suddenly got off him, pulling Lance to his knees. Keith smiled, “Depends on you.” He said, reaching out and running his fingers through his hair. “Still don’t regret your decision?” Lance asked. “Never.” Keith said, pulling him in and kissing him. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance is suchhhh a romantic, and I’m here for it. It’s coming, guys, it’s coming

So they began planning. Figuring things out, all that. Lance saw Pidge and called to her. “Hey, Pidge!” He said. She turned to him, “Lance? What’re you doing here in the Castle, I thought you were doing wedding plans with Keith?” She said. “We are, but I wanted to tell you something. You have to swear on your grave to not tell  _ anyone _ , especially Keith.” Lance said. “Must be serious.” Pidge said, interested. “I have a surprise for Keith for our wedding day.” Lance said, lowering his voice, just in case Keith came looking for him. Which he most likely would. “Oh really? That’s cute, what’re you gonna do?” Pidge said, smiling. 

  “I’m gonna serenade him.” Lance said. Pidge gasped, “No way. Wait, hold on, let me guess what song.  _ All of Me?”  _ She said. “How’d you know?” Lance asked. Pidge gasped again, “Because I remember you saying that you’d sing that song to your significant other when we were in the Garrison! I quiznacking knew it! That’s so adorable, Lance!” She said. Lance smiled, “Yeah.” He said. “Have you guys decided on a date yet?” Pidge asked. “Two days after my birthday.” Lance said. Pidge smiled, “That’s pretty close. A week.” She said. “We’ve been planning for a few days now.” Lance said. Pidge’s smile suddenly grew, and she let out a breath, “Lance...you have no idea how happy I am for you guys. You and Keith are like my brothers. You’re my family.” She said. Lance smiled, “You wouldn’t mind being the flower girl, then?” He asked. Pidge gasped more loudly, hands flying to her mouth. “No. No way. Really? She asked softly, wide-eyed. “Yeah!” Lance laughed. 

Tears sprang to Pidge’s eyes, and she leaped at him with a cry, tackling him in a hug. 

“Yes! Oh my god, of course!” She said. “Aw, Pidge, are you crying?” Lance asked playfully. “Yeah, I am! Oh my god, Lance, I can’t believe this is happening!” Pidge cried. Lance laughed, embracing her more tightly, “Thanks, Pidgeon.” He said softly. Later on, he met up with Keith, red-eyed and sniffing. “What happened to you? Are you okay?” Keith asked, concerned, touching his arm. “I’m fine. I asked Pidge to be our flower girl, and she hugged me and started crying and then I started crying because she was blabbering about our time in the Garrison, and it got really nostalgic.” Lance said. Then he shook his head, “I knew I’d get emotional at one point today. I thought Hunk would make me break down first, but it just happened to be Pidge.” He said.

   He then laughed, sniffing again. Keith smiled sympathetically. “Come on. Let’s take a break. I wanna walk around with you.” He said, taking his hand and pulling him with him. Their fingers entwined. “I was remembering something.” Lance suddenly spoke up. “What?” Keith said, looking at him. “On Treyiv. All those times we walked around the city together, exploring. Before we became mates. You remember that day, we were walking around, and after I talked to that Amarite child, I saw Lux? She said she was just walking around, and when I said we were out getting some Sun, she was talking about how romantic a walk around the city was?” Lance said. Keith nodded. “And we had a back and forth thing, and Lux interrupted us, saying she had to leave, but to watch out for her little surprises?” Lance said. 

“Yeah, her trap. You tripped over her wire, and I caught you.” Keith said. 

He then stopped and turned to him, smiling. “You said you literally fell for me. And then you panicked and saved yourself.” He said. Lance laughed, “You know why I panicked! I’m just saying, Lux thought we were mates before we knew it. She was so satisfied and happy when she found out we became mates.” Lance said. Keith got what Lance was trying to say, “She did that on purpose. Oh my god, her pushing us together, her making you trip so I could catch you-it makes so much sense!” He said. “We haven’t visited her and Koda yet. I really miss her.” Lance said, crossing his arms. “I know, I do too.” Keith said. His eyes then widened as he gasped, and he grabbed Lance’s arm, “Hey-why don’t we go for your birthday?” He asked. Lance smiled, “Why not tomorrow?” He asked. “Tomorrow?” Keith asked curiously, thinking of it. 

   “Yeah. Besides planning, there’s not much else we’ll be doing. Why, is there something you wanted to do?” Lance said. Keith shook his head, a short laugh coming out of him, “No-obviously, there was nothing I had that’s important. I was just thinking of it. We’ll take Red, and be back by night.” He said. “Can’t we stay there a day?” Lance asked. Keith smiled, “Well if you want to, yeah. I’d definitely love to stay there for a day. Especially since it was were you became mine forever.” He said. Lance blushed, an arrow striking his heart as he widely smiled. “Bold of you to assume I wasn’t yours way before I knew it, Red.” He said. Keith laughed, “You’re such a dork.” He teased fondly. 

“Yeah, but you love me for it.” Lance said. 

“Yeah, I do.” Keith said. “But you, I know what you are.” Lance said. “Oh yeah?” Keith said. “Yep. Stealer of my heart.” Lance said, smirking. “Funny. I was gonna say the same thing.” Keith said. Lance took his hand, pulling him close. “Love of my life.” He said. He leaned in and affectionately nuzzled him, “My soon-to-be husband.” He said lovingly. Keith turned red, softly purring as he nuzzled him back. “We should just get married on Treyiv.” Lance suddenly murmured. “What?” Keith asked. “I mean, we fell in love there. Why not have the second, most happiest day of our lives there?” Lance said. “Because you want your family to be there.” Keith said. “No one has to know. We can keep it secret, and then get married again when we get back.” Lance said. Keith laughed, “Oh my God, Lance.” He said. 

   “So? What do you say?” Lance asked. “We can’t get secretly married on Treyiv, Lance.” Keith said, shaking his head. “Aw…” Lance said, pouting. Keith smiled, “I’m sorry, babe, but you know I’m right. We can still go there and walk around the city like we used to.” He said teasingly. Lance sighed, “Fine. Guess I’ll just have to wait a little longer before I get to see your handsome self in a suit. Too bad I’ll have to wait a little longer to dance with you and sweep you off your feet, too.” He said. “Trust me, I would have yes the moment you said it.” Keith said. They both smiled shyly, turning crimson. “You’re so quiznacking sweet.” Lance said affectionately. “I mean, literally. You saying that we should go to Earth so that my family would be there for the day we get married was the most sweetest thing you could say, and do. I’ll never forget that.” He said, running his fingers through his hair. 

He then leaned down and kissed his forehead, “I love you so much. Thank you, Keith.” He murmured softly. 

Keith’s smile widened, “You know I’d do anything for you.” He said quietly. Lance leaned down and kissed him before pulling away. “Too bad we can’t get married on Treyiv. That would have been so romantic.” He murmured, smiling as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I would have said yes the moment it came out of your mouth, trust me. And uh…” Keith trailed off as he smiled. “Speaking of Treyiv...you want to go tomorrow, right?” He murmured. Lance’s eyes and smile widened as he pulled back, “Yeah?” He asked. “Of course. Like you said, why not?” Keith said as he played with the hem of Lance’s sweater. Lance laughed, “Oh my Quiznack, yes! That would be the most best thing ever! I quiznacking love you, you’re the best.” Lance said. Keith twitched in surprise when Lance leaned in and affectionately kissed him. 

     Keith then returned it, his heart melting.  _ Anything. He’d do anything for Lance. Especially if it meant making him this happy. There was nothing else he’d want.  _ Lance pulled back, smiling widely. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My girls Lux and Koda are here!

Lance was bouncing beside Keith as he piloted Red toward the planet that they once crashed on a long time ago, his excitement coming off of him in waves. “Gosh, I can't wait to see Lux, Koda and Queen Loucia! We  _ have  _ to get them to come to Earth for our wedding day!” Lance said. “You’re right.” Keith said, smiling. Lance let out a huff of laughter, squeezing his shoulder. “I can’t believe we’re back here. It feels like it was yesterday when we crashed here.” He said. “At least now we get to land there right.” Keith pointed out. Lance was running out of the cockpit before Red could even land. “Hey-Lance!” Keith called after him, but he was already gone. He rolled his eyes amusingly as Red powered down, standing up. “You just don’t know how to stay still, do you?” He asked to himself amusingly. As he walked outside, he could see Lance tackling Lux in a hug, laughing happily. Surprisingly, Koda wasn’t there with her. “I’m so happy to see you!” He heard Lance cry. Keith smiled fondly, crossing his arms. “I’m so happy to see you too! Oh, Keith!” Lux cried, and suddenly pulled away from Lance, running to Keith and embracing him. He laughed, embracing her back. “Hey Lux. I’ve missed you.” He said. “Oh, I’ve missed you too! I’m so happy, I could cry!” Lux said, her voice wavering.

     He pulled away from her, “Where’s Koda? I thought she’d be with you.” He said. “Oh, she’s inside with her mother. Come. My mother is waiting for you.” Lux said, beckoning them to follow her. “You’ve come on a very special day. Today’s the day of mates. We celebrate each other, and our bond.” Lux said. Lance looked at Keith and smiled, “Well, isn’t that perfect timing?” He asked playfully, slinging his arm around his waist and bringing him closer to him. Keith blushed darkly, laughing nervously. “Indeed. I assumed you two knew, but it doesn’t seem like you did.” Lux said. They went into the throne room, where Queen Loucia was waiting there, smiling. “Queen Loucia!” Lance said. “Ah, Lance. Keith. It’s so wonderful to see you two again.” Queen Loucia said. “It’s nice to see you too, Queen Loucia.” Keith said, happy to see her. 

She smiled, “I trust you two didn’t crash here again?” She lightly teased.

“Nope. Keith’s the most best flier out there.” Lance said, and looked at him and smiled again. Keith turned even redder, smiling back. “I thought I heard two familiar voices!” Koda’s voice was heard, and she suddenly came out of the shadows, smiling widely. Lance gasped, “There you are!” He said, pulling away from Keith and going to her. “Keith.” Lux called to him, and he turned to her. She beckoned to him, “Come. There’s something I’d like to tell you.” She said. He glanced at Lance before following her. “Babe, where are you going?” Lance’s voice instantly made him turn back, meeting his curious eyes. “Lux just wants to tell me something. Don’t worry, I won’t be long.” Keith said, slightly smiling at him before walking away. 

   Lance sharply inhaled after a second and moved to go after him, but Koda instantly came in front of him. “It’s okay. Nothing’s wrong. I don’t know what she wants to tell him, but she seemed very excited to do so.” She said. Keith followed Lux into the garden. “I’m sorry to take you away from your Blue one. I’ve been meaning to tell you about this, and my mother is hoping that you’ll accept.” Lux said, facing him. “It’s fine. What’s up, Lux?” Keith said. “Well. Firstly, I wanted to congratulate you and Lance on your forecoming wedding.” Lux said. “You have to come. You, Koda, and your mother. It wouldn’t be complete without you guys.” Keith instantly leapt at the chance to tell her. 

Lux’s eyes widened, and she smiled, “Of course we’ll be there. There’s no way we wouldn’t. I...don’t know about my mother, though. She’s been swept up by her duties as Queen.” She said. 

“Talk to her. Get her to come. Lance would love for her to be there.” Keith said. “I’ll try, I promise. Secondly, speaking of my mother, she is honouring the day of mates by hosting a ball tonight. She was hoping that you and Lance would come.” Lux said. “Well, why are you telling just me about this and not Lance too?” Keith asked. “That’s not how the tradition goes. You have to tell him.” Lux said. “Koda’s with him right now, isn’t she going to tell him?” Keith asked. “She’s not his mate,  _ you _ are. That’s how it goes. One person is told, and they tell their mate. It’s very romantic.” Lux said. She then smiled, “Lance loves romantic things, doesn’t he? And surprises? You know he would love to hear about the ball from you.” She said. Keith nodded, and then Lux leaned to him, “I also chose you because I see how you are with him, and you’ll struggle with telling him.” She said. 

  Keith laughed, “What are you, my sister? Get over here, you evil princess!” He grabbed her, tickling her. She shrieked loudly, trying to pull away from him. “Aw, is this a family bonding? Why wasn’t I invited?” At Lance’s voice, he instantly pulled away, brightening when he saw him. He was pouting, his arms crossed. Koda came after him, gasping. Lux laughed, pulling away from Keith, “I’m sorry.” She said. Lance pouted even more, a small whine coming out of him. Keith smiled, going to him and amusingly kissing his cheek. Lance’s pout instantly faded, and he smiled at him. “What were you two talking about?” He asked. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell you later.” Keith said. Lance frowned curiously, but he nodded. “Okay.” He said. He then straightened. “I wonder if we’ll see that Amarite child.” He wondered. “That Amarite child is my cousin. Her name is Reina.” Lux said. Lance turned to her, gasping. “No way! How come you never said anything?” He said.

“I thought you’d know. She’s like a little me.” Lux said, laughing.

She then beckoned to them, “Come. There’s an event happening in a few moments. Would any of you like to step up?” She said as they walked through the halls. “Oh I-“ Lance began, but Keith quickly took his hand to stop him. “I’ll do it.” He said quickly. Lance looked at him, surprised. In the corner of his eye, Keith could see Lux grin, almost as if she knew what he was doing. Lance smiled, “All right then, Samurai.” He stopped him and leaned down to him, kissing his cheek. “Go right ahead.” He said. Keith flashed a small smile at him before following Lux. “I know what you’re doing, Keith.” She said when they were out of earshot. “And what’s that?” Keith asked. “You’re doing an event to feel less nervous about asking Lance to the ball. You now know what the events are for. Don’t think I am fooled.” Lux said amusingly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Keith said. 

   Lux laughed as they stepped into the arena, the crowd clapping. “Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to our event of the day! Today is a very, very special day. The day of mates! Which means that this event holds much more importance to it!” Lux shouted, bringing all attention to her. Keith was once again very impressed by how she could do that. “Our beloved Red Paladin, Keith, has chosen to be the contestant for today’s event! May he wow every one of us, as well as his own!” Lux shouted. Keith’s eyes instantly fell on Lance, who was beside Koda, clapping and smiling widely. Keith smiled at him as Lux walked off. Targets popped up around Keith, and he went off. The crowd roared louder and louder with the more targets he destroyed. But the one voice that mattered to him the most was the one that was shouting for him the loudest.  _ His Blue mate _ . Keith glanced at him, seeing that his cheeks were pink with excitement. “Yeah! Get ‘em, babe!” He shouted. 

Keith smiled, blushing at his affectionate praise.

Once Keith was finished, Lux came out beside him, holding her hand up so to quiet the crowd. “All right! It is now the second and final part of today’s event!” She shouted. She turned to Keith, “Keith. Who do you choose to share this victory with you?” She asked. Keith looked around, and lightly laughed. “I choose my fiancé. I choose my Blue mate.” He said. The crowd roared, and he turned to Lance, holding out his hand. “I choose you, Lance!” He said. Lance laughed and came to him, taking his hand. “I give my victory to you. I give my heart to you.” Keith said. Lance darkly blushed, smiling widely at him. They stood there for a few minutes before Lance quickly pulled Keith away from the crowd, and into the room that they once stayed him. “Wow, I love when you do that.” Lance gushed, laughing. “Um...Lance?” Keith said, his heart beginning to speed up in nervousness. 

   “Yeah?” Lance asked, still red-faced. “You know how...today’s the day of mates, right?” Keith asked. Lance nodded, watching him curiously, smiling. “Well...uh...um…” Keith stuttered, growing more and more nervous as he began to turn crimson. “There’s-The thing that Lux was-um-talking about-Queen Loucia, she’s...hosting this thing. It’s-um-it’s a-a ball. Lux said that one person is told, and they tell their mate. It’s-supposed to be really romantic.” Keith stuttered crazily, his heart pounding in his ears. “Do you-do you want to-to go? W-with me?” He got out, ducking his head. He heard Lance gasp softly, and peeked up at him, seeing that his own face was crimson. “Are you serious?” He asked softly. He then laughed, “Keith, oh my God, of course I want to go with you! That’s so romantic!” He said, grabbing his hands. He then smiled, “Is that why you jumped to do the event? To feel less nervous about asking me?” He asked. 

Keith stuttered as he somehow turned even redder, and Lance’s smile widened.

“Aww, babe _ , you’re so quiznacking adorable!  _ I would love to go to the ball with you!” He said fondly. “O-oh.” Keith finally got out, laughing nervously. Lance suddenly pulled him closer and leaned in, kissing his cheek. “You’re so cute.” He murmured teasingly, nuzzling him affectionately. Keith nervously laughed, shyly brushing back. When it was time, they headed into the ballroom together. A flash caught Keith’s eye, and he looked to see Lux and Koda dancing together. He nudged Lance and indicated the two with his head. Lance looked at them and smiled before leaning to Keith, “That was us as new mates.” He whispered into his ear. “Yeah. You promised that whenever there was a formal occasion with dancing, we’d dance.” Keith agreed, looking at him and smiling shyly. “I did. Come on.” Lance said, taking his hand and pulling him to the floor.

   They began to dance, mirroring each other’s movements. Keith wrapped his arms around Lance’s neck, stepping even closer to him. As Lance wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist, Keith reached up and lightly kissed his cheek. Lance smiled at him, the lights from above reflecting in his eyes. Or was it the stars? Keith wasn’t really sure, but he was drowning in them. Lance suddenly leaned to him, “You’re getting better.” He whispered in his ear, and his breath tickled him. Keith shook his head, “I’m still really nervous when it comes to dancing with you.” He whispered back. “I am too. But you’re doing better tonight.” Lance said. Keith’s smile widened, and he turned red. “Thank you. You are too.” He whispered shyly. 

When the dance was over, Lance lead Keith outside into the city. 

“It’s a little late, Lance.” Keith said, looking up at the darkening sky. “I just want to do one thing.” Lance said. “What’s that? A walk in the city?” Keith asked. “Well. Sort of.” The funny tone in Lance’s voice made Keith look at him curiously, frowning.  _ What was he up to?  _ Lance only smiled back, but his blue eyes were glittering mischievously. They continued to walk around for a few seconds, at least until Lance decided to purposefully nudge Keith with a bit of force, making him stumble a bit as Lance took off. “I  _ quiznacking knew it-Lance!”  _ Keith shouted, grinning as he ran after him, chasing him. Lance laughed, “I had to do it one time!” He shouted over his shoulder. “Oh, I’m sure!” Keith shouted back. 

   Their laughter echoed through the city. And in the sky, there were two stars together. A blue one, and a red one. “You won’t catch me unless you go faster, pretty boy!” Lance suddenly teased. Keith laughed, “If that’s what you want, space ninja!” He said, and sped up. Lance shrieked, also going faster. And then he suddenly disappeared. Keith skidded to a stop, gasping. He looked around, smiling. “Where’d you go, Blue?” He called playfully.  _ He used the same trick as Keith had. _ He heard Lance quietly giggle, and Keith’s sharp eyes caught his shadow run between the buildings. “Hey Keith!” He then suddenly shouted. Keith stopped, and smiled, “Yeah, Lance?” He called back, continuing to look for his mate. “I love you! A lot!” Lance shouted. Keith’s smile widened, and he darkly blushed as he laughed.

Lance suddenly came out of the shadows, smiling widely.

“And I can’t wait to be married to you!” He shouted. Keith went to him, but Lance quickly disappeared again. “Aw, Lance! Come out!” Keith said, crossing his arms, slightly pouting. “Oh God, don’t do that, you’ll make me love you even more.” He heard Lance say. Before Keith could see him, suddenly Lance came at him from the side, lifting him up and throwing him over his shoulder. Keith let out a shout of surprise, instantly holding onto him. “ _ Lance! Lance, put me-put me down!”  _ He shouted, but he was giggling uncontrollably. Lance spun him around, laughing. Keith fought for air, unable to breathe because of how hard he was laughing. “ _ Blue! Blue, come on-ahahaha-babe! Lance!!”  _ Keith laughed, trying to get off him. Lance finally put him down, chuckling. Keith took a second, grabbing onto Lance for support as he slowly got his breath back.

    “Jesus, Lance…” He breathed, a light laugh coming out of him. Lance reached out, brushing his messy bangs away. Keith instantly pressed into the touch, a helpless purr of affection coming out of him. “You’re such a dork.” He teased fondly, once he calmed down. “For you, yeah.” Lance said. Keith smiled at him, and reached out to run his fingers through his curly locks. “I love you too. So much. And I can’t wait to be married to you too.” He said softly. He then reached up and planted a few affectionate kisses on his cheek. Lance giggled, a sound that Keith loved to hear. “We should get inside.” Lance said, playing with Keith’s ring, which was hanging on his neck. “ _ I  _ should be saying that, you were the one who decided to go outside.” Keith said. 

“Hey, we used to chase each other like this! Granted, it wasn’t at night, but it was nice! I…” Lance said, but trailed off.

He then smiled and rested his forehead against Keith’s, “I’m glad we got to spend so much time together on Earth. I love it so much. Being with you...with my mate, the one person I love more than anything in this world...without any dangers or threats...with us being safe from the Galra...I have loved every second of it.” He whispered softly as their fingers tightly entwined. Keith blushed, his smile becoming lovesick. “I love it too.” He whispered back. Lance leaned in and began to affectionately nuzzle him. Keith purred lovingly, and loudly as he nuzzled him back. “And I love  _ you _ .” He whispered. “I love you too, Red.” Lance whispered back. 

   After a few seconds, Keith reluctantly pulled away, and Lance whined at the loss of contact. “ _ Hey _ …” He said. “We really need to get inside, Lance.” Keith said softly. Lance whined again, “ _ Do you have to ruin the moment, babe?  _ Today’s the day of mates, I wanted to spend more time with you. _ ”  _ He asked as he pouted. Keith quietly laughed, “I’m sorry.” He reached up and amusingly kissed his cheek. “C’mon. Let’s go.” He said, pulling him with him. Inside their room, Lance sighed, shaking his head amusingly.  _ His fiancé was such an idiot.  _ Keith let go of his hand, and Lance watched him for a second before he decided to make a big show of stretching his arms, fake yawning as Keith sat on the bed. “Running around makes me so tired.” Lance said dramatically, going to Keith and falling on top of him as he threw his arms around him.

“Oof.” Keith made a small noise as they both fell back. 

Lance rested his chin on Keith’s chest, smiling at him. Keith smiled back as he rolled his eyes, reaching up and running his fingers through his hair. “You’re such an idiot.” He said amusingly. “But I’m an idiot for you, sweetheart.” Lance said. Keith lightly laughed, reaching down and kissing his forehead. “Hey… is there something you want me to get you for you birthday?” Keith suddenly asked softly, pulling back. “Uh...not really. Just celebrating it with you would make my day.” Lance mumbled as he lifted his head and began to plant soft kisses on his scar. “No? That doesn’t sound like you. You told me you always love gifts, especially from me. Something up, Blue?” Keith asked curiously. Lance laughed and pulled back, “No, nothing’s up. I’m not joking, all I want is to just spend my birthday with you. That’s the greatest gift ever.” He said. 

    Keith blushed darkly, smiling shyly. “That’s...really sweet, Blue.” He said softly. Lance smiled back and reached up, lightly kissing him before pulling back. “But are you sure? Not even a small little gift?” Keith asked softly. “I’m sure. I don’t want anything. Except, at least...your undivided attention.” Lance said. Keith softly laughed, continuing to gently and slowly run his fingers through his curly locks. “Of course.” He whispered. Lance pressed into his touch, wanting more. “I had so much fun with you today.” He said softly. “I did too.” Keith whispered. Lance suddenly, really yawned this time, his eyes slightly drooping from exhaustion, and from Keith’s gentle touch. “Go to sleep, Lance.” Keith whispered softly. Lance slightly nodded before he slowly dropped his head back on Keith’s chest, and he quickly knocked out.

Keith smiled and gently kissed the top of his head before knocking out as well.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Inhales* THEY WATCHED A SUNSET TOGETHER-

Lance quietly walked into the room, seeing that Keith was in a deep sleep. He would feel bad about this, but he so wanted Keith to see the sunrise. He came to Keith and gently shook him, “Keith. Keith.” He whispered. Keith stirred a bit, and Lance shook him again. “Hey. Red. Babe.” He reached out and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing his bangs from his face. “Wake up. C’mon, sweetheart, wake up.” He whispered, leaning down and gently kissing his forehead. A soft hum of questioning came from Keith, slowly coming to. “Lance…?” He mumbled tiredly, and softly. “Hey, babe.” Lance whispered, kissing his forehead again, “C’mon. Wake up, I wanna show you something.” As Keith woke up, Lance gently pulled him up, and his hands came to his face, gently brushing his cheeks. 

   “What is it you wanna show me?” Keith mumbled, his purple eyes tired and confused. “Come. You’ll see.” Lance said, standing up and pulling Keith with him. He heard Keith yawn, “Lance, it’s too early for this...Babe...Can we just...go back to bed?” He asked tiredly. “I’m sorry sweetheart, but I really want you to see this, and then we’ll go right back, I promise.” Lance said. Keith only softly sighed in compliance, letting Lance lead him through the halls. He brought him to an opening that overlooked the city, the sky beginning to turn an orange-yellow from the coming sunrise. “Oh. You wanted me to see the sunrise.” Keith said in realization, a bit more awake. “Yeah. I realized that Treyiv’s Sun is a bit more different than Earth’s, so I wanted to see what it was like.” Lance said. 

Keith looked at him and smiled, “It’s nice.” He said.

“Oh yeah. Bit more orange than Earth’s Sun, isn’t it?” Lance said. Keith nodded as he yawned again, and Lance smiled at him fondly. “Okay. Come on. Back inside.” He said, taking his hand and pulling him back in. “I’m sorry for waking you up. I didn’t want you to miss it.” He said apologetically. “Mmm. It’s okay. I kinda liked it.” Keith murmured. Lance pulled him into their room, lightly kissing his temple before nuzzling him. Keith softly purred, brushing back. Lance pulled back and sat on the bed, pulling Keith to him. “Go back to sleep.” He whispered, running his fingers through his hair. And he was already doing so, his breaths easing as he continued to softly purr. Lance watched him for a second before falling asleep as well. 

    It became late morning, and the two were still asleep, even though they had to go back to Earth in a bit. No doubt, the two were a bit exhausted. If one were to listen closely, Keith’s soft purring came out every few seconds, with every other breath he took. The quiet moment didn’t last long, as Lance was shifting his head, slowly coming to. He vaguely reached up and rubbed his eyes, slightly lifting his head as he opened them, becoming more and more aware, and awake. Seeing Keith in a deep sleep with his hair messy made Lance smile fondly, reaching out to run his fingers through it. “Keith. Hey…Red, wake up.” He whispered softly. Keith slightly shifted, and his purring became a bit louder. “Come on, babe, we gotta go home.” Lance said. 

“Not now, Lance…” Keith unconsciously mumbled softly. 

Lance softly laughed, reaching down and planting a few kisses on his head, “C’mon. Red. Babe. Wake up.” He said amusingly. Keith shifted again, and suddenly he lifted his head, opening his eyes. He then rubbed them, quietly yawning. “Hey sweetheart.” Lance said affectionately, gently brushing his thumb over his cheek. Keith mumbled a greeting back, pressing into his hand for more as his purring grew even louder. “You look tired.” Lance noted. “Someone decided to wake me up really early to show me the sunrise.” Keith mumbled. Lance dramatically gasped, “How dare they wake my poor mate up way too early just to show you a sunrise. Who are they, I’ll teach them a lesson not to mess around with my sweetheart.” He said. Keith tiredly laughed, “Well, he’s a real big dork, that’s for sure. No one but him would wake someone up to show them the sunrise on a different planet. He’s a romantic like that, and I’m engaged to him.” He said.

    He then smiled, his cheeks turning red, “I’m marrying him in a few days. I think you know him.” He said. “Hmm. Doesn’t sound familiar at all. When were you going to tell me you were getting married to someone else? That’s not very nice, babe, I thought we were mates.” Lance said as he blushed as well, leaning to him and gently, affectionately nuzzling him. Keith purred even louder, nuzzling him back, “As if there’s anyone else but you.” He mumbled softly. “I couldn’t even imagine it.” Lance teased quietly. “We don’t really have to leave right now, you know.” Keith mumbled. “Yeah? We can stay a bit more?” Lance asked, smiling. “Yeah. Anything for you.” Keith said affectionately. “I thought you’d be up and ready to go home. I was literally ready to beg you to stay a little more.” Lance said. Keith pulled back a bit, “Treyiv’s our second home, Lance. We’ve got some time.” He said. “Then when would you want to get back?” Lance asked.

“At night.” Keith said. 

Lance’s smile widened as he realized that Keith was doing this to pass the long days ahead. “Are you  _ sure _ you don’t want to get married here?” He asked. Keith blushed darkly, “I told you, we can’t.” He said. “Do we really have to wait a whole week and two days?” Lance asked, pouting. “Yes, we do. That was the day we both agreed on, Blue.” Keith said. “Did we really?” Lance asked. Keith blushed even more, pulling away from Lance and sitting up. “Yes, Lance.” He stuttered. Lance sat up as well, running his fingers through his hair, “Oh, fine. Guess we have to wait a whole week and two days. Too bad. You’re really quiznacking cute.” He said, leaning to Keith and beginning to plant soft kisses on his scar. Keith’s whole face turned crimson, and he fought to keep his rising laughter inside. But as Lance planted more kisses all over his face, it slipped out, and he quickly collapsed into uncontrollable fits of giggles. 

   “St-Stop! Lance! Ahaha-s-Stop!” He cried in laughter, but he wasn’t really fighting against him, more trying to duck away. “ _ Lance!  _ You know that tickles, st- _ Blue!!”  _ He nearly shrieked, unable to breathe from how hard he was laughing. Lance took him down, planting a few more kisses on his scar before pulling back. Keith had to take a few seconds, trying to get his breath back, his hands on Lance’s cheeks to keep him from tickling him anymore. Lance chuckled softly, kissing his hand before leaning down and affectionately nuzzling him. Keith loudly, lovingly purred, nuzzling him back. “I love you so, so much, Blue.” He whispered softly. “I love you too, Red.” Lance whispered back, and affectionately kissed him. 


	26. Chapter 26

When Lance and Keith got back home, Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro were waiting for them. “Lance, Keith! Welcome back, guys!” Shiro said. “Why are you saying that as if we’ve been gone for weeks? It’s only been a day and a half, Shiro.” Lance said as they walked out of Red. “We just missed you guys.” Pidge said, crossing her arms. Lance smirked and rested his arm on Keith’s shoulder, leaning to him, “Hear that, Keith? They missed us. I’m so touched.” Lance said. Keith lightly laughed, crossing his arms, “We really weren’t that far away, guys.” He said. Pidge shook her head, “You two are too powerful.” She said. Shiro laughed, “Guys, come. We all wanted to hang out when you two came back.” He said. Lance gasped, “Really? What are we doing?” He asked. Shiro beckoned them as Pidge and Hunk walked ahead. “You’ll see.” He said.

   Lance and Keith shared a curious look before following Shiro. “We’re going to the new castle. There’s something that I wanted us to do one more time.” Shiro said. “What does it involve?” Keith asked. “A game.” Shiro said. They all went into the Castle, heading toward the observation deck. Shiro grinned, “It’s been a while, guys. We’re sort of doing this as a way for Lance and Keith to have some fun with us before they begin their journey in marital bliss together. I’d like for us to play a game together, and then we can all hang out in the lounge together, have a little party. Allura, Coran, and Krolia will be joining us later.” He said. He then clapped his hands together, “We’re going to play Hide-and-Seek.” He said. Keith laughed, “No way. Lance already wins. No one knows better than I do that Lance is the King of Hide-and-Seek.” He said. 

Lance laughed, leaning against him, “He already knows because he never finds me.” He said

“I know Lance is the king at this game. Which is why he’s going to be the finder for once.” Shiro said. Lance made a noise, “What?!” He shouted, and Keith bursted out in laughter, his shoulders shaking. Lance glared at him, crossing his arms as his cheeks and ears burned in embarrassment. “Oh, just you wait, Keith. I’m leaving you for last.” He said. He then turned to Shiro, “This isn’t fair.” He whined. “Yes it is, Lance.  Anyone who hasn’t been caught is “it”. You’ve never been caught, so you have to be the finder. You know the rules. Count to 30 with your eyes closed. Anyone who gets caught has to go wait in the lounge for the rest of us. Got it?” Shiro said. Lance pouted, grumbling, seeing Keith was still laughing. “Fine.” Lance grumbled. As the others went off, Keith finally calmed down and came to him, affectionately kissing his cheek and his temple. “Good luck, babe.” He teased before taking off. “I’m starting the count! 1, 2, 3…” Lance shouted before counting. Once he reached 30, he went off. 

   Not surprisingly, he found Hunk first, considering he wasn’t really hard to find. Next, he found Shiro, who ruffles his hair before going off. Pidge was so hard to find, since she was small. But luckily he found her, and she nearly threw him across the Castle when he told her that she had been hard to find because of her height. “Want me to help you find Keith?” She asked, turning to him. “Nah. He’s mine, and mine alone to find. I’ll get back at him for making fun of me.” Lance said. Pidge laughed before going off, and Lance sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he continued to walk around. “It’s kinda like Treyiv, you know. Me chasing after you, you hiding from me. Except if you were to change spots, that would be cheating. We both take this game very seriously, Mullet, and we would never cheat at this game.” He said loudly as he looked around in all the places that he thought Keith would hide. “Come on, Keith. Just give up and come out already. You  _ know _ I’m the King at Hide-and-Seek. I’ve already won. There’s no point in hiding any longer.” He said.

No answer.

“I see how it is. I’m impressed. You’re always up to challenge me. Tell you what. Give up now, and I’ll be nice and share my throne with you, just because I love you. It won’t be like being real important Kings, but it’ll be fun to be the Kings of something, even if it’s just being Kings of a silly game. What do you say,  _ darling?”  _ He called out sweetly. Still no answer. He lightly laughed, “I see. All right, Kogane. I’m coming for you, and when I win, you have to call me your King for...let’s say a whole week. Just ‘cause I want you to. I’d like to hear you say it, even though I already know I’m your King. But if you somehow win, which is impossible because you never have-sorry-I’ll do the same for you. I’ll get you a gift, too. You’re my mate, and I have the instinct of wanting to give you anything and everything you want. Don’t think I’m fooled, though. I’m still keeping my guard up and looking for you.” He said.

   He smiled, “You know...You’re my biggest prize. That’s why I left you for last. Come on babe, let me win you. Don’t deny me this.” He said. When Keith still didn’t answer, he stopped and pouted, crossing his arms. “I hope you can see how sad you’re making me. I’m your mate, you’re not supposed to make me sad like this.” He muttered as the familiar urge to want to see his mate began to grow inside him. He sighed, not realizing that Keith was literally right there hiding in the shadows, smiling as he fought not to tease Lance. It would give his position away. He watched him walk past, arms crossed, posture slightly slouched as he pouted.  _ So cute.  _ Lance suddenly stopped and turned around, his pout disappearing. “I can feel you watching me.” He said. He looked around, “You’re close. I can literally feel it. Where are you hiding, Red? Not in these rooms, that’s for sure. I know you too well.” He said. Keith shifted, amusingly watching him search around. At least until Lance’s eyes suddenly landed on him. Or rather, on top of him. 

Keith went very still, slowly drawing further back into the shadows. 

“You’re almost as good as I am, Red. I’ll give you that.” Lance said as he came closer, his eyes searching the darkness. Keith felt his back touch the wall, and knew he was doomed. “You’re lucky I can’t see if you would be hiding in the shadows, Keith. You could be hiding anywhere in the darkness and I wouldn’t know it. You play so well.” Lance said. He then reached out, and Keith held his breath, pressing his head against the wall. Wherever Lance would move his hand, Keith would silently duck away, somehow keeping very,  _ very  _ quiet and still. “Hm.” Lance hummed softly. Keith couldn’t stop staring staring at his dazzling blue eyes, which were glittering in the darkness like bright crystals. Then he suddenly leaned even closer, one hand going right next to Keith’s head.

   Keith could feel himself turning red from Lance’s soft breaths brushing against his face, and he was dead sure Lance found him. “Hey sweetheart. Hiding in here where I can’t see you, are you?” Lance said softly, but he was still trying to look around. So he didn’t really know he was right in front of him. He just knew he was here in the shadows. “There’s no point in staying silent now, Red. I’ve already found you.” Lance said. Keith tried to stay as far back to the wall as he could, but his knife made a soft dull noise against the wall, and Lance got alarmed as Keith silently swore, his heart racing in his ears. 

“Hm...you know...my eyes are kinda adjusting to this darkness. It almost sounded like your knife scraped against the wall. Slipped up, did you? Why aren’t you saying anything? Cat got your tongue? You wouldn’t happen to be...right...in...front of me...would you, sweetheart?” Lance whispered softly, coming even closer.

Keith was panicking, suddenly not remembering how to breathe. “Hm...you’re almost as tall as me now…” Lance trailed off, and suddenly he was leaning even closer, their faces mere breaths apart. “You’re not very good at hiding, you know.” Lance whispered before closing the distance between them, kissing him. He pulled back, “Found you, Keith.” He whispered amusingly. Keith still couldn’t breathe, his face an unheard shade of crimson. Lance laughed softly, “Hey, I got you now, you can say something.” He said. 

   “Oh.” Keith whispered stupidly. “Oh? That’s all you can say? Did I fluster you that much, love?” Lance affectionately teased as he ran his fingers through his hair. “I...I didn’t think you would find me.” Keith said. “I told you, my eyes adjusted. I saw those pretty purple eyes of yours way before I saw anything else.” Lance said. “Oh.” Keith whispered again. Lance chuckled, “You’re  _ so _ adorable when you’re flustered. I’m sorry. I wanted to have a little fun with you.” He teased, affectionately nuzzling him. Keith finally calmed down, brushing back. 

“All right, my King, you’ve won. We should go to the lounge with the others.” Keith said as he smiled.

“Hey, hold on.” Lance said when they walked out of the shadows, taking his hand. Keith looked at him, curious. “I have something for you.” Lance said. Keith’s eyes widened, “What? Oh, you-you didn’t have to get me anything, Lance, that’s okay-“ He began in surprise, but Lance cut him off. “Don’t be ridiculous, Keith. You’re my mate, I like giving you gifts too.” Lance said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace, which had a blue star hanging from it. Keith gasped softly, “Oh, Lance...” He breathed. “You like it?” Lance asked. “It’s...beautiful. Gosh, Lance...you really shouldn’t have.” Keith stuttered, blown away, but Lance cut him off again, “Hey, I’ve been meaning to give this to you all day, all right? I thought it would look nice on you. Think of it as a token of my affection. I know you like it anyways.” He said as he stepped closer to him, putting the necklace on his neck. 

   Keith watched him, turning redder and redder with every second. “Thank you.” He said shyly. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Lance said, fixing the necklace. He then pulled back and smiled, reaching out to run his fingers through his hair before leaning down and kissing his cheek, “You look really cute.” He said affectionately. Keith laughed nervously, turning crimson. “Th-Thank you. That was so sweet of you.” He said shyly. Lance softly laughed, “Anything for you, Red. C’mon. We should go meet up with the others.” He said. They walked to the lounge, fingers entwining. And all together, the group had a party. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you mean this didn’t happen-


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys guys it’s just 2 more chapters I swear

There was one person Keith was focusing on today, and that was his mate. It was his birthday, and Keith had gotten up early, determined to make today the best day that Lance would ever have. He leaned down and kissed Lance’s temple, gently nuzzling him. “I’ll be back in a bit.” He whispered before going off. A bit later on, Lance woke up, and got a bit confused when he didn’t find Keith asleep on top of him. He instantly felt very cold, wanting the warmth of his mate. He rubbed his eyes as he got up, walking out of their shared room in the Castle. “Keith?” He called out as he walked through the halls, tired. He looked in the training deck, but didn’t find him there. He peeked his head into Red’s hangar, “Keith?” He called. No answer. He made his way onto the observation deck, where Shiro and the others were. “Hey buddy. Happy birthday.” Hunk said, coming to him and squishing him in a hug.

    He hugged him back, “Thanks, Hunk.” He said. The others wished him a happy birthday as well, but there was one person he wanted to hear it from the most. “Have you guys seen Keith? He wasn’t with me when I woke up.” He asked. Shiro smiled, “Oh, he said he’ll be back soon. He’s just out doing something.” He said. Lance sighed, rubbing his face as his shoulders dropped. “Really? He didn’t say what?” He asked. “Don’t worry.” Shiro chuckled. Lance sat down in his chair, “I just wanted to cuddle with him today...” He quietly whined, closing his eyes as he rested his cheek on his palm. He could hear the others quietly talking, but he was slipping in and out of a light doze to actually listen. He just wanted to see Keith...

“We need someone to distract him.” Pidge said quietly, keeping her eyes on the dozing birthday boy

“He won’t want to be with anyone except Keith today. If he keeps him away from the castle, he’ll expect us to make everything perfect for him.” Hunk said. “He said Lance would want to spend the day with him. We’ll tell him when he’s finished setting things up in the lounge.” Shiro said. A bit later, Keith came in, “All right. I finished setting everything up. Where’s...” He began, but as he looked around at the others, his eyes suddenly caught something. He turned, only for his eyes to widen when he saw that Lance was also in the room, curled up, sleeping in his chair. He smiled, and looked at the others, “When did he wake up?” He asked as he went to Lance, reaching out and running his fingers through his hair. “Just a bit before you came. He was looking for you. He wanted you to say happy birthday to him.” Pidge said. “Aww...” Keith said affectionately, his smile widening as he knelt down, gently brushing Lance’s cheek. Lance twitched, mumbling incoherently.

  “We can take care of everything while you distract him.” Shiro said. “Really? Are you guys sure?” Keith asked, turning to them. “Yeah. Totally. We know you want to make this day the best day for him, so we’ll do our best. Just go and do some things with him while we prepare everything. Be back in like...let’s say, 3 hours?” Shiro said. Keith smiled, “Thanks, Guys. Really. I owe you.” He said. “No prob. We’ll see you in 3 hours.” Shiro said as they all walked out of the observation deck. Keith leaned to Lance and kissed his head, “Hey. Hey, Blue. C’mon, wake up. You’re not supposed to be sleeping on these chairs, sweetheart, they’re not very comfortable.” He whispered. Lance shifted, but did not wake up. Keith gently nudged him, “Lance. Come on, let me wish you a happy birthday.” He said softly. Lance moved again, and Keith could see he was slowly coming to, his eyes fluttering.

He then pushed himself up, rubbing them.

“Keith...?” He mumbled. Keith smiled, “Hey Blue.” He said fondly. Lance opened his eyes, and instantly brightened, smiling back. “Hey Red. Where were you, I was looking for you.” He said, his voice still heavy from sleep. “I’m sorry. I woke up a bit early, I was just doing something.” Keith said. “Hmm?” Lance said curiously, and Keith shook his head. “You’ll see. Not right now, though. A bit later.” He said. As Lance yawned, Keith craned his head and affectionately kissed his cheek, “Happy birthday, babe.” He said fondly. Lance’s smile widened, “I’ve been wanting to hear it from you since I woke up.” He said. Keith laughed, “C’mon. You and me, let’s get out of here. Today’s your day, we’ll do anything you want.” He said, touching his hand. “What I really wanted was to snuggle with you.” Lance said. “You’re cute, but let’s go out and do something first before we can get to that.” Keith teased, reaching for him and wrapping his arms around his waist. “What are you-Keith!” Lance began, but cried in slight surprise when Keith pulled him to him, and threw him over his shoulder, standing up. “Really?” He heard Lance say.

    “Really. So what do you want to do? Do you want to walk around the city? We can go to your home and walk around there, or we can do something totally different, like go to any place you want. Tell me, and we’ll do it.” Keith said as he walked out the door and into the halls. “Put me down first.” Lance said. Keith stopped and set him down, letting him go. Lance stretched his arms, “Hmm. Anywhere I want?” He asked. Keith nodded, “Anywhere you want. It’s your day.” He said. Lance smiled, “I, um...” He trailed off, laughing nervously. “What? Tell me.” Keith said. “Well...there’s this-um-carnival I wanted us to go to one day.” Lance said, rubbing the back of his neck, turning red. “A carnival? Where? Around here?” Keith asked. “No, it’s actually in Varadero. Can we do that?” Lance said. Keith smiled, “Why are you asking? Of course we’ll go. I’ve never been to a carnival before. That sounds like fun.” He said.

Lance brightened and nodded, and they went off.

In Varadero, they were at the carnival. Lance won every shooting game, and Keith was watching him with every second, proud and fond. All day, Lance was smiling so widely and happily, and it was the most best thing ever. “So how is it so far for your first carnival?” Lance asked at one point, nudging Keith. Keith looked at him, and got distracted by the lights reflecting off Lance’s eyes, making them glitter. “Beautiful.” Keith vaguely said, caught in his eyes. Lance laughed nervously, blushing darkly. “I-I wasn’t talking about my eyes, Red.” He stuttered. Keith shook out of his dazed trance, “It was fun, but my attention was on you. You were having so much fun. You were so happy.” He said. Lance turned redder, “I was. Thank you, Red. You made this the best day ever.” He said shyly. “It’s not over yet.” Keith said. Lance’s eyes widened, “Wait, what? There’s more?” He asked, surprised.

   Keith laughed, “Yep. Come on. We gotta go back to the Castle.” He said, taking his hand and pulling him with him. It was around late afternoon when the two finally came upon the Castle, heading inside. “I don’t understand.” Lance said, confused. Keith only smiled, leading him to the lounge. He let Lance enter first as the lights turned on, and the team jumped out from hiding. “Surprise!” They shouted. Lance gasped, his eyes more wide than humanly possible. He looked at Keith, “You...you did this for me? You threw me a party?” He asked softly. Keith smiled, “Of course I did, why wouldn’t I? I wanted to make this the best day ever for you.” He said. Lance looked like he was about to cry. He tightly embraced Keith, “You’re the best. You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you.” He whispered. Keith softly laughed, “You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Keith said. Lance pulled back after a few seconds and went to the others, embracing them as well. “When did he tell you guys about this?” He asked. “Yesterday. He was planning since then.” Pidge said.

“I might actually cry. This means so much to me.” Lance said.

Keith smiled fondly, watching him. The party went on ‘til night, and Keith had never left Lance’s side, seeing that once again, Lance had never stopped smiling. Many pictures were taken of the party, which would be put up later for the team to see and remember. A few of them had Keith putting cake on Lance’s nose and cheeks, the two of them laughing. The rest of the team finally bid the two goodnight, leaving them in the lounge, eating cake. Keith looked at Lance, meeting his glittering eyes. Keith smiled, “I would have done more for you, you know.” He said. Lance smiled back, “That would have been way too much. This was enough.” He said. He then reached out, nudging their fingers together. “I loved every single second of today. I know I said this already, a lot, but it really does mean so much that you went out of your way to do all this for me.” He said softly. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re my mate, Lance, I’d do anything for you.” Keith said.

   Lance smiled again and suddenly shifted closer to him, leaning down and kissing his cheek. “Thank you so much, Red.” He said softly, pulling back. “You’re welcome, Blue. I’m happy that you had so much fun. I made sure that everything was perfect. You deserved nothing but the best.” Keith said. Lance suddenly, quickly leaned in again and kissed him. After a second, he pulled back. “That’s you, you idiot.” He whispered, smiling. Keith softly laughed, blushing, “I love you, Blue.” He whispered. “That’s not fair, I was going to say it first. Always beating me to the punch.” Lance whispered. Keith softly laughed and affectionately nuzzled him, purring. Lance instantly nuzzled him back, “But I love you too, Red.” He whispered.


	28. Chapter 28

Scissors snipped through Keith’s hair. Lance softly sang his favourite lullaby as he cut through Keith’s hair, the strands falling in a bucket. “Who taught you?” Keith suddenly asked. Lance stopped singing, “My sister, Rachel. She’s a hair stylist. She sort of taught all my siblings, just so we could learn to cut our hair by ourselves. She said it would be good for us to know.” He said. “Hmm.” Keith said. “We’ve got a busy day today.” Lance then said. “You said that earlier. Why?” Keith said. “Well, last minute checks, right? Just to make sure everything’s set.” Lance said. “That’s not really going to take up the whole day.” Keith said. “You don’t know.” Lance said. Keith then heard him softly laugh, “I’m so glad Lux and Koda are coming tomorrow.” He said. “Me too. But Lux didn’t say whether Queen Loucia was too.” Keith said. “I hope she can. I’d like for her to be there. But if she can’t, that’s okay. She’s got a kingdom to run.” Lance said. 

    There was a few seconds of peacful silence before Lance spoke up. “It was kinda worth it. Having to wait all this time.” He said. “See, I told you. Now you know why I said we couldn’t get secretly married in Treyiv.” Keith said. Lance chuckled and kissed the top of his head, “Yeah, I get it.” He said. He then faced Keith and smiled, “Let me see...” He trailed off, reaching out and running his fingers through his hair. “How do I look?” Keith asked. “Very handsome. Come look.” Lance pulled away and grabbed Keith’s hand, pulling him to his feet and bringing him to the mirror. Keith’s head felt light, even though Lance hadn’t taken off too much from his hair. “I like it. Thanks, Lance.” Keith said, turning to Lance and smiling. Lance smiled back, “Ah, it was nothing. I had fun cutting it. Let me do it again next time it grows out.” He said. 

“I-um-I owe you, I guess? I don’t exactly know how to repay you-“ Keith began, but Lance cut him off. 

“Whoa, whoa, Keith, don’t be ridiculous. You don’t have to repay me at all, you’re my mate. I just did it because you wanted me to.” Lance said. “Are you sure? I mean-“ Keith began, but Lance reached out and touched his shoulder, cutting him off again. “Babe, babe, relax. It’s fine, I promise. Why would you feel like you have to repay me? Besides, I just want one thing.” Lance said. Keith nodded, “Okay. What?” He asked. Lance smiled, “Give me a kiss.” He said. Keith smiled as well, “A kiss? Really?” He asked amusingly, crossing his arms. Lance imitated him, “Yes, really.” He said. Keith rolled his eyes and reached up, pulling him closer and kissing him. He pulled away after a second, “You’re an idiot.” He said. “But I’m your  _ Blue  _ idiot _.”  _ Lance said. “Yeah, you are.” Keith said. “Hey...Can you believe that tomorrow, we won’t be fiancés anymore?” Lance suddenly said softly. Keith laughed, “You make it sound like we’re breaking up.” He said. 

   “You get what I mean.” Lance said. “Yeah, I know. I’m just playing around.” Keith said. The two both then turned blood-red, smiling nervously at each other. “I’ve been waiting for this ever since we made that promise we made that night.” Keith said softly. “Yeah, ever since you outright told me that when we got back to Earth, you were going to marry me.” Lance said, leaning down and gently bumping their noses together. Keith softly laughed, “You were freaking out so badly.” He said. “Well, yeah, because I wanted to marry you too. Lux was asking me one day how mates worked on Earth, and I explained to her that they go on dates, and one day they even get married. She asked me if I was going to do that with you, and I freaked out then too, because we just became mates and we would have been going way too fast. But I told her that I did want to marry you. That’s when I realized. And then you beat me to the punch of bringing it up.” Lance said. 

Keith softly laughed, “Still sour about that?” He asked amusingly, craning his head and kissing his cheek.

“Not really. I was, but that was a long time ago. I stopped being sour about it some point before we left Treyiv.” Lance said. “You weren’t really sour, though.” Keith said. “I half was, half wasn’t. I was really surprised and startled by what you said.” Lance said. “You know...I was kinda scared you wouldn’t feel the same way. I sort of took my chances and said that.” Keith admitted. “But I did.” Lance said, reaching up and running his fingers through his hair. “I know. I would have explained that it was something I was hoping for some time in the future.” Keith said. Lance smiled and softly laughed, “No matter what, I would have agreed, Keith. Don’t think I wouldn’t have.” He said, leaning in and kissing his forehead. “Really? Even if I didn’t say I wanted to marry you on Earth?” Keith asked. “What, you would have said you wanted to get married on Treyiv instead?” Lance said. Keith laughed, “Of course you asked me that. You’re still not over that, are you?” He said amusingly, playfully pushing Lance away. 

    Lance laughed, “And I won’t be for a long time, Samurai.” He said. “But I won’t ever forget how sweet it was of you to say that you wanted my family to be there. So I’ll get over it, just ‘cause you’re so cute.” He then said. Keith blushed, rolling his eyes. “You said we have a busy day, don’t we? We can’t keep standing here.” He stuttered, turning around and walking out the door. Lance laughed, following him. Keith suddenly felt him take his hand, their fingers entwining. He made eye contact with him, then looked away, turning even redder out of nervousness. This went on all day, with them being very nervous of each other, continuously turning red because of each other. Lance pointed out the Garrison in the distance, “Hey, look at that. That’s where we met when we were little.” He said. Keith looked at the building, then at Lance.

He softly smiled, “Yeah.” He said. 

“If things were different, we would have been friends much more earlier. We would have gotten along better.” Lance said. “No matter what, we’d have come to this point. We were fated to be together.” Keith said, reaching up and kissing his cheek. Lance darkly blushed, smiling nervously. “Yeah. We were.” He said. “Guys!” At the sound of Pidge’s voice, they both turned to her, seeing her run to them. “What’s wrong, Pidge?” Lance asked, concerned. “It’s the Atlas. They powered it up, come look at it!” Pidge said before running back. Lance and Keith shared a curious and excited look before following her. “They made Shiro the Captain! Iverson and Coran are with him!” Pidge shouted over her shoulder. “How’d they power it up?” Lance asked as they ran through the Garrison. “Remember how the old Castle got turned into a crystal? It’s like, a huge object of infinite mass and Altean alchemy! It was the perfect thing to get the Atlas to turn on!” Pidge said. “No way! That thing is powering the Atlas? It’s going to have so many capabilities that no one’s ever seen before!” Lance said in awe.

   “Exactly!” Pidge said excitedly. They skidded to a stop, seeing the Atlas sitting there, ready to rise into the air. “I’ll never get tired of looking at her.” Keith said, crossing his arms and smirking. “Fire megathrusters!” They heard Shiro command. “Yes, sir!” Coran’s voice came in as well. “Watch your eyes!” Pidge shouted at them. When the megathrusters turned on, a powerful blast of wind erupted from the ship. The others came beside them, watching as well. The Atlas rose into the air, taking to the sky. It was absolutely exhilirating, and adrenalizing. Lance whooped, “Long live the Atlas!” He shouted. Keith smiled and shouted with him, the others following. They watched the ship navigate around, firing its small weapons. “This makes me miss piloting Red in space, fighting the Galra.” Lance said.  

“That would make them know you’re not actually dead, Lance. They’d come after you.” Keith said. 

“And...then they’d come to Earth. That’s not something we need to think about. We need something good for once.” He said. Lance slightly smiled, “Like...a wedding?” He asked, blushing. Keith looked at him and smiled back, blushing as well. “That’s right.” He said. They looked back to the Atlas still navigating around before they began to walk away. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Lance called to Hunk and Pidge. They waved back, smiling. “That ship is the most coolest thing ever.” Lance said as they walked through the halls of the Garrison. “It’s pretty powerful.” Keith agreed. Once they got out, they headed into the city, walking around and talking. At night, they sat on the grass at a small lake, the half-moon rising into the sky. “Let’s play a game.” Lance suddenly said. “Okay.” Keith said. 

  “I spy with my little eye...a star.” Lance said. “The North Star, Polaris?” Keith asked. “How on Earth did you know?” Lance asked, laughing. “You always talk about it.” Keith said. Lance rested his head on his shoulder, “Your turn.” He said. “All right. I spy with my little eye...a star.” Keith said, resting his head on top of Lance’s. “Mmm...Sirius.” Lance said. “That was easy.” Keith said, smiling. “Fine. We’ll go a little higher. I spy...a red star.” Lance said. “Arcturus.” Keith said. “Nope.” Lance said. “I would have thought so. Betelgeuse?” Keith said. “Nope. One more try.” Lance said. “One more try? That’s not fair, there’s not a lot of red stars out there.” Keith said. “There’s only one that matters. Very dense.” Lance said amusingly. 

“What...” Keith muttered all of the names of all kinds of red stars to himself, but none were close to whatever star Lance was thinking of. 

Keith lifted his head, “What are you talking about? There’s no kind of red star that’s so dense-“ He asked confusingly, but Lance cut in as he was talking. “You.” He said. Keith backtracked and stopped, eyes widening. “...Oh.” He said quietly. Lance laughed, blushing, “You really weren’t expecting that?” He asked amusingly. Keith could feel his face and ears instantly burn up, “Um...n-no.” He stuttered. Then it suddenly hit him, “Hey-I’m not dense!” He said, lightly pushing Lance. 

   Lance laughed even harder, and Keith watched him, crossing his arms and pouting as he turned crimson. “You’re making fun of me.” He said. “No-I’m not, I swear! It’s just-!” Lance gasped, in hysterics. Keith felt hyper aware of himself, flustered and embarrassed. Lance quickly calmed down and shook his head, smiling widely. “You’re  _ so _ quiznacking cute.” He teased fondly. He then leaned in and affectionately kissed him. Keith slightly twitched, startled. But after a second he returned the kiss, fingers drifting through his brown locks. They then pulled away, resting their foreheads together. “Just a few more hours. That’s what it’s come down to.” Lance whispered. Keith laughed softly as they both turned crimson. “Yeah. And then you and me...we’ll have eternity.” He whispered back. He leaned back in and began to gently and affectionately nuzzled him, purring loudly. Lance softly laughed, nuzzling him back. “We’ll have more than eternity, sweetheart.” He mumbled softly. 

Keith purred even more loudly, and lovingly. 

“Nothing sounds better than that.” He murmured quietly. They both pulled away after a few seconds. “We should get back home.” Keith said softly. Lance nodded, “Yeah. Come on.” He said. They got up and walked away from the small lake, fingers entwining. Tomorrow was going to be the best day of their lives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish them driving over the cliff together was something that happened in the show...  
> Anyways, here! Be fed! It’s official, they got married in Cuba, with everyone they love surrounding them.   
> It’s also official that the day they got married is July 29

Excitement, happiness, and nervousness was thick in the air. Lance nervously fiddled with his ring, which was hanging on his neck. “Lance-If you can’t hold still, I can’t do your hair. And you always hassle me about your hair.” Hunk said. “I’m sorry. I just-can’t stay still.” Lance said, lightly bouncing. “Hunk, don’t stress him out. I think we’ve got enough of that already.” Keith’s voice from the other room made him smile, brightening. “How’s it going over there with you and Katie?” Lance asked. “Fine, I guess. What about you and Hunk? Besides him stressing you out?” He heard Keith answer. “He’s not stressing me out, babe, I’m fine. He’s just doing my hair.” Lance said. “He better not be. Don’t you stress out my mate, Hunk, you’ll regret it.” He heard Keith warn jokingly. Lance laughed, and so did Hunk. “I’ll try my best.” He said. He went back to fixing Lance’s hair, and Lance was distracted, listening to Keith and Katie talk. 

    “Look at that, Lance, Keith is having the same fidgety problem. Listen here you-fidgety Red Paladin-this is gel, dude! I’ll mess it up if you don’t stop!” He heard Katie say. “It feels weird!” Keith protested. “You’ve had gel in your hair before, Keith.” Lance said amusingly. “I know, but Katie isn’t like Koda. Koda was gentle, and Katie’s being rough.” Keith said. “Katie, you’ll regret screwing around with his hair like that.” Lance jokingly warned. “Unless you don’t wanna see his forehead and his pretty purple eyes, I must do what I can.” Katie said. “I’m the only one who can call his eyes pretty, stop looking at him like that!” Lance said. He heard Keith nervously laugh, and then Katie snicker. “He’s like, dark crimson, Lance, he won’t be able to face you out there.” She said. “That’s not true. Right, babe?” Lance said.

“Right.” He heard Keith stutter nervously. 

“All right, Lance. I’m gonna put some new paint on your cheeks, and then you are ready to go, all right?” Hunk said. Lance nodded. A soft knock on the door sounded. “Come in.” Lance said. “Um...I can’t.” It was Keith, making him straighten. “What’s going on, sweetheart?” Lance asked. “I just wanted to say that I’m heading out. Katie finished with me. Um...” Keith trailed off, and Lance silently signaled for Hunk to wait, standing up and going to the door, listening. He heard Keith take a deep breath, sounding extremely nervous. “I’ll-I’ll see you out there. Okay?” He heard him say. “Yeah. See ya, sweetheart.” Lance said softly, smiling. He heard Keith softly laugh before walking away. Outside, he was tackled by Lux and Koda. “Hey girls! I’m so glad you came!” He said happily, embracing them. He put them both down, and looked around. “Where’s your mother, Lux?” He asked, not seeing the Queen. 

    Lux’s smile faded, “She couldn’t come. She apologizes, but she wishes you many blessings.” She said. “Her queen duties pile up on her?” Keith asked knowingly. Lux nodded, and Keith did as well. “That’s okay. I’ll tell Lance, he’ll understand. I’ll see you guys in a bit, okay?” He said. He turned, only for his mom to come in front of him, smiling. He smiled, “Mom. I’m so glad you’re here.” He said. “And so am I.” She said. She reached out and touched his cheek, brushing it with her thumb. Keith pressed into her touch, his smile widening. “I’m so proud of you, my son. I’m so proud of you.” His mother said softly. “Thank you, mom.” He whispered. She pulled away, and he walked past her. Shiro joined him in front of Coran. “How do you feel?” Shiro asked. “Like I’m going to explode.” Keith breathed. Shiro laughed, “Calm down, Keith. Take a breath.” He said, touching his shoulder. “I’m sure Lance feels the same way, though. And uh...speaking of Lance...” Shiro trailed off, and Keith instantly turned around, only for his eyes to widen as he gasped. 

“Wow.” He whispered. Katie was finishing throwing flowers, and Lance was behind her.

He looked absolutely stunning, his hair gelled back, bright red paint on his brown cheeks, and his bright blue eyes glittering. Lance smiled at Keith, facing him. “You-you look so handsome.” He said. Keith smiled back and darkly blushed. “T-Thank you. You look very handsome too.” He stuttered. Lance blushed, “Thank you.” He said. “All right, everyone, if you will take your seats, the ceremony will begin.” Coran said. When everyone settled, he began. “We are gathered here today to bring two people together in holy matrimony. If anyone has any objections to this ceremony, please stand now, or forever hold your peace.” He said. When no one did, he continued. “All right. Before we start with the vows, Lance and Keith have a few things they want to say each other. Lance, if you will go first.” Coran said. Lance reached for Keith’s hands, taking a deep breath. “Keith...we had a wild start, didn’t we? We started off in the Garrison as kids, and we met again while saving Shiro. We were the Red and Blue Paladins, who were the greatest team. We became friends. We were fated to be mates. We just never knew it until we crashed on Treyiv together. And here we are now. We’ve been through so much together. And I wouldn’t have gone through it with anyone else. I have been wanting this ever since Treyiv. And to have it now? You have no idea...” Lance began, but trailed off, his breath hitching. 

    “You’re smart, courageous, and you make me want to be a better person. You’re everything I was looking for. And I can’t even  _ begin  _ to explain how happy I am to be standing here with you right now. You make me so quiznacking happy.” Lance’s voice went high-pitched as he cried. Keith had been trying not to cry, but now he was, and he squeezed Lance’s hands as he softly laughed. “Thank you.” He whispered. “Keith.” Coran said. Keith sniffed, wiping away his tears. “I had a feeling I was going to cry.” He said. Lance laughed, sniffing. Keith sighed, “Lance, you’re right. We did have a wild start. But really, it started when we had our bonding moment. When you said that I wasn’t who I thought you were. When you said that we made a good team. And you’re right. We do make the most greatest team. You became my stability, and my impulse control. Do you wanna know why we’re co-leaders? Because I would trust you to lead the team with no hesitation whatsoever. There is no one I’d rather have by my side leading our team than you. You help me grow into a better person too, and...” Keith began, but trailed off, more tears spilling down his cheeks. 

“You’re  _ everything _ to me.  _ Everything.  _ And I would go to the ends of the world for you. To be standing here with you right now...I feel like I want to explode. But in a good way.” He said softly.

Lance smiled, “Thank you.” He whispered. Everyone clapped as they gave each other their rings. “It is now time for the vows. Lance, you’re first. Repeat after me. I, state your name.” Coran said. Everything Coran said, Lace repeated as he slipped the blue ring onto Keith’s finger. Keith did the same thing, unable to stop looking at Lance and smiling widely. “I now pronounce you husband and-well, husband. You may kiss the groom.” Coran said. Lance pulled Keith to him and affectionately kissed him. As everyone cheered, he lifted him up and spun him around before setting him down and pulling away. Throughout the day, their eyes were only for each other, never letting go of each other’s hand. Shiro suddenly stood up, “I propose a toast!” He said, raising his glass. Everyone looked to him, and he smiled, turning to Lance and Keith. “To Lance and Keith. The Red Paladins, and the Paladins of Purple!” He said. “The Paladins of Purple!” Everyone cheered. Lance suddenly looked to Katie, making eye contact with her. She nodded, and he stood up. 

    Keith looked at him, “Where are you going?” He asked curiously. Lance only smiled, and squeezed his hand before walking to the small stage and standing in front of the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention?” He said. Everyone looked at him, curious. “I had this planned a few days before as a surprise. Keith, this is for you.” He said. And when the music played, he began to sing. Keith’s eyes widened, and he slowly stood up, turning redder and redder with every lyric Lance sang. Everyone clapped when he finished, and Lance blew a kiss to him, smiling as his eyes glittered. Keith felt an arrow strike his heart as he smiled back, and Lance came to him. “You did that for me.” Keith said. 

“I did. And only for you.” Lance said. 

He then held out his hand, “Dance with me?” He asked. Keith’s smile widened, “You don’t even have to ask.” He said, taking his hand and following him to the dance floor. And they began to slow dance. “Thank you. For the song. I wasn’t expecting that.” Keith said. “I’d sernade you any day, sweetheart.” Lance said affectionately. Keith laughed, turning red. He wrapped his arms around his neck, stepping closer to him. Lance’s arms came around his waist. After a few minutes of watching the two dance, others joined. They all could see the Red Paladins leaning to whisper in each other’s ears, giggling and smiling like lovesick idiots. Which they were. Completely, and madly. They might as well have had hearts in their eyes.

    “I love you, Red.” Lance whispered. Keith smiled, “I love you too, Blue.” He whispered back. Lance leaned to him, kissing his cheek. Keith began to purr, lightly nuzzling him. They never stopped dancing. In their minds, it was just the two of them, dancing the night away. When the ceremony finally came to a close, they waved the others farewell as they ran off like a bunch of kids, their laughter ringing through the air. Many noticed them as they ran past, but they didn’t really care. It was only about them, and each other. It was only about the eternity that they would spend together. They had both decided to spend their honeymoon in Cuba, where Lance would show Keith around even more. They had slowed down after a while, and Keith suddenly had an idea. He lead Lance to where he had hidden his hover bike, and tried to convince him to get on it

“Nope. No, no, no, no, no, I am not getting on that  _ thing.”  _ Lance said, crossing his arms.

“Lance, come on. One drive, I promise. You’ve been on it before.” Keith said, smiling. “Yeah, and that was when we were saving Shiro! It was terrible! You drove us all off a cliff!” Lance said. “Please?” Keith asked. “No! I can’t believe I just said that, I probably put the idea into your head, didn’t I!” Lance said. “Come on. You trust me, don’t you?” Keith said. Lance stared at him, and his puppy dog eyes. He sighed, “...Fine. One drive. That’s it, you can’t make me get on it again. No driving off that cliff. Understand?” He said. “Yeah.” Keith said. They climbed on, and Keith drove off. Lance started to recognize the area they were in, and dread instantly hit him. “Keith, what are you doing?” He asked. “Trust me.” Keith said. Lance craned his head, only to loudly shriek when he saw the upcoming cliff. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, turn around,  _ turn around!! _ Keith, don’t you dare!” He shouted. “Just trust me!” Keith said, speeding up. 

   All that was heard as they drove over the cliff was Lance’s loud screaming as he tightly clutched onto Keith, hiding his face in his shoulder. When they landed, Keith skid to a stop and looked at Lance, smirking. “You all right, babe?” He asked amusingly, seeing that Lance’s hair was sticking everywhere. “Can we-not do that again?” Lance’s voice was muffled. “Come on. That was fun, wasn’t it?” Keith teased. He heard Lance take a deep breath, “Fine. A little. You’re crazy.” He heard him say. “For you, yeah.” Keith said, smiling. Lance lifted his head a little, “All right. Fine. Can we-get out of here now?” He said. “You got it.” Keith said, and kissed the top of his head. They drove to the shack, and when they entered inside, Lance’s mood quickly changed back to lovesick haziness. “You’re an idiot.” He said, smiling.

Keith laughed, his heart going wild, “But I’m  _ your  _ idiot.” He said, leaning in and kissing him. 

His hands let go of Lance’s, drifting his fingers through his curly locks. Lance suddenly laughed, and Keith pulled back, “What? What’s so funny?” He asked softly, smiling. “Everything was so perfect.” Lance whispered. “That’s what you’re laughing about?” Keith asked amusingly. “I don’t know, you’re the only thing I’m thinking about right now, I have no idea what I’m laughing at.” Lance murmured, kissing his scar. Keith laughed, “You’re an idiot.” He said. Lance pulled back a bit, “But I’m  _ your  _ idiot.” He said. He then began to plant kisses all over his face. Keith instantly sputtered, bursting into laughter. “Stop! Stop it, that tickles!” He giggled uncontrollably. Lance laughed, attacking his scar with more kisses. “Lance! Lance-ahahaha!-Lance!!” He was in hysterics, his face and ears burning like a fire. 

  Lance pulled back, chuckling. As Keith calmed down, he leaned in and affectionately kissed him. Keith returned it, absolutely lovestruck and in a heavy haze. “I love you so much.” Lance mumbled softly between kisses. “I love you too. To the ends of the world.” Keith mumbled. Lance pulled away, their forehearts resting together as their hearts beat as one. He then began to nuzzle him, and Keith loudly purred as he nuzzled him back, kissing his cheek. “Hey...” Lance whispered. “Yeah?” Keith whispered, pulling back a bit. He noticed that Lance’s red marks now had hints of purple in it. “Thank you.” Lance whispered. “For what?” Keith asked. “For making today...the best day ever.” Lance whispered, smiling. Keith smiled, somehow turning an even deeper shade of crimson as he was consumed by love. “Thank  _ you,  _ Blue.” He whispered. Lance leaned in and kissed his scar again, and Keith softly laughed. 

“I love you  _ so much.”  _ He whispered.

“No, you.” Lance mumbled. “No,  _ you.”  _ Keith said. Lance ran his fingers through his hair, and Keith pressed into his touch, wanting more as he purred even louder. “I love you too.” Lance whispered. He then softly, gently kissed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pidge would so let Lance and keith call her Katie for their wedding day


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important things are brought up here for the future

Lance still felt light-headed when he woke up. He rubbed his eyes, sitting up. He looked to his left, only to smile when he saw Keith in a deep sleep beside him. He turned a little more to him and leaned in, gently kissing his cheek. Keith shifted, coming to as Lance pulled away. “Hey babe. Good morning.” Lance said fondly. Keith shifted, rubbing his eyes. “Mm. Hey.” He mumbled tiredly. “Sleep well?” Lance asked softly. Keith made a noise of agreement, and Lance reached out, brushing the wild strands of his hair out of his face. “You say that, but you look tired.” He said quietly. “Well...we did stay up late.” Keith mumbled. Lance made a low, sympathetic noise as he chuckled, “Aw, my poor Red mate.” He teased, leaning in and kissing his temple. Keith’s fingers brushed over his cheek as Lance pulled back. “Babe...” Keith murmured softly. “Mmm?” Lance hummed. “Can we like...sleep for a few more minutes...I’m tired...” Keith mumbled. Lance chuckled, “All right, we can sleep for a few more minutes.” He said. Keith wrapped his arms around him, pulling him to him. 

   Lance slung his arm around his torso as Keith snuggled into him, softly sighing. Lance reached out and ran his fingers through Keith’s wild hair. Keith lightly pressed into his touch, wanting more. And after a few seconds, his breaths eased. Lance followed a while later. It’s around early afternoon when Lance wakes up again. He slowly, reluctantly pulled away from Keith, standing up and stretching. He looked around for his sweater, but didn’t find it. “Hey Blue.” Keith’s voice caught his attention, and he turned around, seeing him sitting up, pulling his wild hair back. “Hey sweetheart. Um, have you seen my sweater?” Lance said. “You don’t remember where you put it?” Keith asked. “No, not really.” Lance said. Keith got up, “I think it should be under my jacket?” He said. Lance reached for Keith’s jacket and lifted it, seeing his sweater underneath. 

“Ah.” He said, picking it up and putting it on. Keith watched him, smiling. 

Lance suddenly felt his arms come around him, and he stopped and smiled as Keith rested his chin on his shoulder. “Hey you.” Lance said fondly, kissing his head. “Hey.” Keith said. He lifted his head and kissed his cheek. Lance pulled away from him and faced him, “You know, we should stop staying up so late.” He said. Keith laughed, entwining their fingers together, “Yeah, we probably should.” He said. “Hey, do you maybe wanna go out somewhere? Before we go to Cuba? Spend some time with the team before we leave them for like, a whole 2 weeks?” Lance said. “Yeah, that would be nice. I think they’re at the Garrison, working on the Atlas.” Keith said, nodding. “All right. Let’s go, then.” Lance said. They walked out of the shack, heading toward the Garrison. And sure enough, the team and the others were there.

  “Ah, well, look who it is. It’s the Red Paladins, Lance and Keith McKogane.” Shiro said when he saw them. Lance and Keith both darkly blushed at that. “Aren’t you guys supposed to be heading to Cuba right now?” Pidge asked. “We are, but we thought we’d hang out with you guys before we did.” Lance said. “That would be fun. I mean, we won’t be seeing you guys for 2 weeks.” Shiro said. “Exactly.” Lance said. So they all headed out. They spent a few hours together, talking about memories. When it finally came to the time where the two had to leave, they bid them farewell before heading back to the shack. Lance was strangely quiet as they got ready. Keith looked at him, seeing he was standing there, looking at a loss. Keith came to him, “Lance? Hey, come on, we gotta...” He began, only to see that Lance looked upset. 

He reached out and touched his cheek, “Hey, hey...what’s wrong? Why are you so upset?” He asked, concerned. 

“It’s just...we’re leaving them. It didn’t really hit me until we started saying goodbye.” Lance said softly. Keith made a soft, sympathetic noise, “Aw, Lance...don’t be upset. We’re not leaving forever, it’s only for 2 weeks. We’ll keep in touch with them. They’ll come to see us.” He said gently, brushing his cheek soothingly with his thumb. Lance nodded, “I know. It just overwhelmed me for a second.” He said softly. “It’s okay. It was a bit hard for me too. They’re our family. It’s okay.” Keith soothed. He then reached up and lightly kissed his forehead, “Just relax.” He whispered. And after a few seconds, Lance calmed down, no longer so upset. “Okay?” Keith whispered, pulling back. Lance nodded. “Do you want to stay? We can leave later on.” Keith asked. “No. No, it’s okay. I’m fine now. Let’s go.” Lance said. “Lance, are you sure? Because we can stay, there’s literally no problem-“ Keith began, but then Lance leaned in and kissed his cheek, making him stop. “Thank you. But it’s okay. I promise.” Lance whispered. Keith searched his face before he nodded, giving him a small smile of comfort. “All right. Let’s get going, then.” He said. 

   So they left. While on the way to Cuba in a car, they had fallen asleep, snuggled against each other. It was around morning when the two both woke up and got out of the car, heading to Lance’s house. Just to drop off their stuff, and then they would head into the city. “There he is! Lancey Lance!” Veronica’s voice sounded, and she came down the stairs, smiling widely. Keith let go of Lance’s hand so that Lance could go and hug his sister. But then Keith got attacked by Nadia and Sylvio. “Uncle Keith! Uncle Keith!” Nadia squealed. Keith laughed, “Hey, you two!” He said, play-fighting with them. Veronica looked at Lance, who was smiling fondly at them, his arms crossed. “He’ll make a good dad someday.” Veronica teased, nudging Lance. He instantly whirled to her, turning crimson. “Veronica!” He protested, embarrassed. “What? Don’t you want to have a family with him one day?” Veronica said. 

Lance somehow turned an even deeper crimson, and lightly hit her shoulder. 

“Veronica,  _ I swear to God-!”  _ His voice became high-pitched, and he looked so flustered and embarrassed. Veronica laughed, and Lance instantly turned back to the play-fighting trio, “All right, you guys, break it up! Get off my mate!” He said. Nadia and Sylvia got off Keith, helping him sit up. “You heard your uncle. Go on.” Keith said. The two giggled before taking off. Veronica followed them. Keith pulled back his wild hair, sighing. Lance laughed, making him look at him. He was standing there, arms crossed, smiling. His blue eyes were glittering with amusement. “They’re already calling you “uncle”.” Lance said. Keith smiled, “Yeah, I guess. It’s kinda nice.” He said. Lance let out a small huff of laughter, “You know...I like how you are with them. You’re really good with them.” He said. Keith smiled, “I really like them. They remind me so much of you.” He admitted. Lance smiled as he blushed, and he came to him and held out his hand. “Come on. We’ve got to put away our stuff. And then we’ve got some exploring to do.” He said.

   Keith took his hand and got to his feet. But before Lance could let go, Keith held on for a few seconds, brushing the back of Lance’s hand with his thumb. He pulled him to him and kissed his cheek. “I might like those kids, but I love you even more.” He said. Lance laughed, turning a darker red, “Bold of you to assume I got jealous when I know that I’ll have you by my side for eternity. But I love you too. Come on.” He said before pulling away, leading him upstairs. They put their stuff in Lance’s room. Lance suddenly turned to him, “You know, we should-we should buy our own house. So that we could live in it, just you and me.” He said. “Hm. Yeah, that sounds nice. Soon. We don’t have to worry about that right now.” Keith said. Lance suddenly came to him, “You should actually leave your jacket here. It’s like, insanely hot outside, and you’ll burn up. I mean, I’m used to it cause this is my home, but you’ll get such a bad sun burn. Where is it-here. Hold still.” He said, and looked around for something before grabbing a bottle of sunscreen and dabbing some on his cheeks, nose, and forehead. 

“That’s not funny.” Keith said, rubbing it all over his face. 

“It’s a little funny, ‘cause you’re so pale. But seriously, I’d rather that didn’t happen.” Lance said, reaching up and lightly pecking his temple. Once Keith was done rubbing the sunscreen on his face, Lance took his arms and dabbed more sunscreen on them, rubbing it in for him. Keith suddenly smiled, a light laugh coming out of him. “What’s so funny?” Lance asked. “That means that you’ll get little freckles on your cheeks. You’ll look so cute.” Keith said. Lance darkly blushed, “Of course you find a way to turn the joke on me.” He said. Keith laughed, leaning in and kissing his cheek. “You started it, sweetheart.” He said. “All right, all right, I get it. Let’s get out of here.” Lance said, pulling away and walking out. Keith laughed even harder, following him. “You’re so adorable when you’re flustered.” He teased. “Well-no one’s ever complimented my freckles before. To hear it from my mate is a different story.” Lance said, turning even redder.

   Keith nudged him, smiling. Lance nudged him back, rolling his eyes. They walked around, fingers entwining. “So where are you taking me?” Keith asked. “There are so many things that I wanna show you. I wanna show you the parades, the festivals and parties, and there’s this castle that Cuba’s really famous for. It’s a small taste, but I don’t wanna overwhelm you. It’s a lot of things, a lot of bright colours everywhere. And there are parts of it that are dangerous. I want you to keep a tight hold on me, all right? I know it sounds ridiculous and you’ll think I’m coddling you-which I usually do-but I’m being serious. There are like-“ Lance cut off and suddenly faced Keith, looking around before leaning to him. “There are literal gang members around here. And I would rather you stayed by my side. I know you can protect yourself, but I’m literally not joking.” He whispered. He then took his hands, pulling back a bit, “Those kind of people, they...they scare me. I don’t want you to be anywhere near those places. Please. Tell me you understand.” He said softly.

Keith nodded, “I get it, Lance. It’s okay. What makes you think I’m going anywhere except for following you? Don’t worry.” He said gently. 

Lance nodded and slightly smiled as he relaxed, “Okay. Come on.” He said. They continued to walk around, and Keith stayed close to Lance like he said he would, completely awed by everything around him. The crowd gets a little thicker, and Keith stumbled, his hand slipping out of Lance’s. He looked around, seeing that Lance had suddenly disappeared out of sight. “Quiznack. Lance? Lance?” He called. He heard Lance call back for him, and Keith tried to push through the crowd, following his voice. Someone bumped into Keith, and he felt someone take his knife. He instantly spun around and grabbed the person’s wrist, ready to break it. “That’s not yours. Give it back.” Keith growled. “Hmm. I would, but it’s so pretty. I think I’ll take it.” The person said, a cold tone to their voice. A high-pitched whine sounded, and suddenly a familiar, blue, plasma bullet was fired into the guy’s upper arm. The thief let out a cry of pain, and Keith looked to see Lance behind him, blaster in his hands, smoke coming out of the barrel. “I don’t think so.” Lance hissed. Keith knew if the thief tried to do anything, Lance would make a much more painful wound. He didn’t miss on purpose. Keith turned to the thief and smiled darkly, “Maybe you didn’t hear me the first time. I said...” He trailed off and broke his wrist, pinning it to the guy’s back and throwing him to the floor, keeping a hold on him. “ _ That’s...not...yours.”  _ Keith hissed. 

     He took the knife and pressed down on him even harder, and the guy let out a strangled cry, gasping. “ _ Get lost, low-life.”  _ Keith growled. He then released his grip, and the guy scrambled to his feet, running off. Keith put his blade back in its sheath and turned to Lance as his blaster disappeared. Lance sharply inhaled, “Keith.” He ran to him, grabbing his arms. “I saw him come to you. He didn’t hurt you, did he?” He said. “No, no, I’m fine.” Keith said. He then touched his arm, “Thanks, Blue. Hey. Relax, babe, I’m okay. It’s okay.” He said, trying to calm him down. Lance looked ready to attack, infuriated. “If I ever see that thief again, I’m going to  _ kill him. He’s lucky I didn’t blast his quiznacking arm off.”  _ He growled darkly. “Babe,  _ relax.  _ It’s okay. I snapped his wrist, I got him. And so did you.” Keith said gently, rubbing his arm soothingly. Lance took a breath before looking around, frowning. 

“We should leave. Go somewhere else.” He said quietly. 

Keith nodded, “Okay. Let’s go, then.” He said. They walked away from the city. Lance had calmed down, but he was still upset, muttering quietly. “Quiznacking thieves. Coming up to you like that, trying to steal from you.” He muttered. Keith squeezed his hand, brushing his thumb over his knuckles, comforting him. Lance sighed, squeezing back. They ended up at the beach. Lance sat on the sand, staring out into the ocean. Keith stayed standing, tying up his hair before facing Lance and crossing his arms. “You’re not gonna come swimming with me?” He asked, a light, playful tone to his voice. He hated to see his mate like this. Lance looked up at him and sighed. He then smiled, “Fine. Fine, I’m coming.” He said, standing up. “Race ya!” Keith shouted, and ran off. “Oh you-!” Lance shouted, and they both ran into the water, jumping in. Keith resurfaced, laughing. “I win.” He said. “You had a head start!” Lance shouted, pushing his bangs back. 

   Keith laughed again, “Maybe. Face it, Sharpshooter. I won.” He said playfully. Lance laughed, “All right, all right, fine. Next time I won’t go so easy on you, Samurai.” He said. Keith splashed water at him, swimming backwards. “Really?” Lance asked, flicking his hair. “Yep.” Keith said. He splashed him again, smirking at him. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help but tease you, love.” He teased. “Using my nickname against me? How dare you.” Lance said, blushing. Keith swam back a bit more, “Sorry sweetheart.” He teased, and began to lazily backstroke. “You’re going too far away from me.” He heard Lance say. “Well then come and follow me, pretty boy.” Keith said. “I mean-there’s sharks in these waters too. We shouldn’t go out too far.” Lance said. Keith looked out, then at Lance. “How far out are they?” He asked. “The water gets bluer as it gets deeper. Over there. Don’t think of anything reckless, Keith, I don’t want my husband getting bit by a shark.” Lance said. 

Keith turned to him and swam forward, smiling. 

“Say it again.” He said. Lance smiled, his blue eyes reflecting off the ocean. “What, that you’re my husband? That’s strange, I could’ve sworn we were still engaged a few days ago.” Lance said playfully. “Very funny.” Keith said amusingly. He swam a little closer to him, still smiling. Lance smiled back, “Hey babe.” He said. “Yeah?” Keith asked. Lance raised his hands, and Keith was suddenly met with a splash of water. He spluttered, coughing, hearing Lance cackle. “Gotcha!” He shouted. “Why you-!” Keith shouted, and leapt for him. Lance shrieked and swam back to the shore, Keith hot on his tail. “ _ Lance, I’m going to kill you!”  _ Keith shouted. “No you won’t!” Lance shouted as they ran on the sand, their laughter echoing across the ocean. Keith leapt at him and Lance shrieked as he grabbed him and took him down. 

   “Gotcha.” Keith said triumphantly, keeping him down. Lance let out a breath, still laughing. “All right. You got me, Red.” He said. “Now say sorry.” Keith said. “You didn’t say sorry to me.” Lance said. “I did! And I’m not letting you up until you do, nothing you say or do will make me give in.” Keith said, smiling. “Oh yeah?” Lance asked. “That’s right. Not even your cute puppy eyes will work.” Keith said. “Mmm...no.” Lance said. “Lanc- _ mmrph-“  _ Keith cut off in surprise when Lance reached up and put his hands on his cheeks, pulling him down and affectionately kissing him. Keith took a second to get over his surprise, returning the kiss. He then pulled away, letting out a soft laugh. “Idiot. You have some sand in your hair.” He said, reaching out to brush a bit of it away. “Eh, I got it. Let me up, sweetheart?” Lance said. Keith got off him, watching him sit up and shake his hair, running his fingers through it. “You’d have to go back into the water to get that out.” Keith said, laughing. 

“Already ahead of you, Samurai.” Lance said as he got up, running back into the water. 

Keith smiled and followed him as he resurfaced, pulling his hair back. “Hey. Do you want to see how long I can hold my breath under water?” Lance said. Keith thought about this, knowing that Lance was extremely good at holding his breath under water. And even though he knew that, he had some concern. But he smiled again, “Show me what you got, Sharpshooter.” He said. Lance grinned and went under. Keith could see his figure under the water as he silently counted.  _ 11...12...13...14...15...16...17...18...19...20... _

He pulled his bangs out of his face, sighing softly. He had to admit, Lance’s ability to stay long times under water impressed him every time. Keith knew his longest time was 8 minutes.  _ 26...27...28...29...30...  _ Keith became a bit distracted as he counted, looking around. He suddenly felt something come around his waist, and he let out a scream of surprise as he was suddenly lifted up by Lance, thrown over his shoulder. Lance cackled, “Did I scare you?” He asked teasingly. “No! I just wasn’t expecting that!” Keith said, holding onto him. “Of course you weren’t.” Lance said. “All right, all right, put me down.” Keith said. 

    Lance laughed, and Keith was instantly hit with dread. “Lance, don’t you drop me. Don’t you dr- _ quiznack!”  _ He warned, but Lance threw him over, and Keith fell into the water. Lance laughed even harder as Keith resurfaced, gasping. Lance swam to him as he laughed, and Keith splashed water at him. “You’re so mean!” He said, but he was smiling. “If you can do it to me, I can do it to you!” Lance said. Keith splashed him again, and Lance splashed him back. Keith splashed back, but something had Lance’s attention. “Hey, what is it?” Keith asked. He followed Lance’s gaze, seeing that something was swimming in the water, just a few feet away from them. “You see it too, right?” Lance said warily. “Looks like a fish.” Keith said. Lance swam closer to him, “Or a shark.” He said. Sure enough, a grey fin appeared out of the water, and Lance grabbed his arm, drawing back. Keith held out his hand to calm him down, “Hold on, hold on.” He said, focusing his sharp eyes. 

He then turned to Lance, “That’s a dolphin, Lance.” He said. 

“Their fins are so alike, how do you know the difference?” Lance asked. “I thought you’d know that.” Keith said, smiling. “I can’t see as good as you can. I can’t tell.” Lance said. “Okay, well look.” Keith said, indicating the dolphin. It leapt out of the water, spinning. “Oh.” Lance muttered. Keith turned to him, “Are you scared of sharks?” He asked. Lance’s eyes widened, and he tried to play it off. “What? Pfft, no way. I‘m as fearless as you are.” He said. Keith smiled and touched his arm, “Lance, it’s okay. I know you’re scared of them. You don’t have to hide it from me, a lot of people are scared of them too.” He said. “Not a lot of people have actual phobias, Keith. How funny is that? The Guardian of Water having a phobia of an animal from the ocean.” Lance said. Keith reached up and touched his cheek, “Hey, hey, don’t say that about my mate. It’s okay to have a phobia of something that your connected to.” He said. 

    “I mean, I have a fear of fire sometimes.” He then said. “But that’s-“ Lance began, and Keith cut him off. “My actual element? I know. But it’s because when I was young, my father died in a fire.” He said knowingly. Lance gasped, “Keith, I-“ He began, but Keith stopped him, “It’s okay. It’s about time you knew anyway. I should have told you sooner, but it never came up, and it kept slipping my mind. But see? I have a fear of something I’m connected to. And I’m pretty sure the others do too.” He said. “I thought you’d make fun of me.” Lance said quietly. Keith smiled, “Of course not, Blue. C’mere.” He said gently, pulling him to him and kissing his cheek. “I’d never tease you for being scared of something. You know I’d hate to see you like that.” He said, pulling back. “A few months ago, we were hanging over a fire pit.” Lance said suddenly. “I was more terrified of losing you.” Keith said softly. 

He then brushed his cheek with his thumb, “So don’t be embarrassed about your fear. If anything, you held really well today. I’m proud of you.” He said.

Lance gave him a small smile, “Thank you.” He said quietly. Keith lightly nuzzled him, giving him more comfort. “Let’s get out of here. The water’s starting to get cold, I’m like- freezing.” He said. It made Lance laugh, “Yeah.” He said. They got out, heading back to Lance’s house. As they got changed, the sky began to turn dark. Lance looked outside his window, and sharply inhaled. “Hey, come. Let me show you something.” He said, coming to Keith and taking his hand, leading him outside. They sat on a white swinging bench, and Lance indicated the sky. “Look.” He said. Keith looked, and saw that the sky was littered with bright stars. “Better here than around the Castle, huh?” Lance said. “Hmm. Yeah.” Keith said. “Let’s play a game.” Lance said. Keith smiled, “Okay.” He said. “We have to name all the stars. You go first this time.” Lance said. “All right. Sirius.” Keith said.

   Lance shifted even closer to him and rested his head on his shoulder, “Polaris.” He said. Keith wrapped his arm around him, “Betelgeuse.” He said. They kept going for a little bit, at least until a yawn from Lance caught Keith’s attention. He looked at him, seeing Lance was starting to fall asleep. “Hey.” He whispered, leaning down and kissing his head. Lance instantly woke up again, “Hmm?” He hummed questioningly. “C’mon. Let’s go back inside.” Keith said. Lance lifted his head, yawning again. “We didn’t even finish naming the stars.” He mumbled. “We can finish tomorrow. C’mon.” Keith said, taking his hand and leading him inside and up the stairs. “Goodnight, boys.” At Veronica’s voice, Keith looked to see her waving from the living room. “Goodnight.” He said. “Night, Ronnie.” Lance said. In Lance’s room, Keith led Lance to his bed, and once he settled, he instantly began to fall asleep again. Keith softly laughed, pulling him closer to him and gently kissing his head, running his fingers through his curly locks. Which were even more curly because of the water. “Goodnight, Blue. I love you.” He whispered affectionately. “I love you too.” Lance softly mumbled. His breaths eased, and Keith knew he was asleep. Keith followed a few seconds later.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nadia and Sylvio are powerful

Lance got up a bit early, stretching as he reluctantly pushed himself off of Keith. He looked down at his sleeping mate and smiled, reaching out to brush his wild strands of hair away. Keith twitched, coming to. “Lance...?” He mumbled. “Hey sweetheart. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Lance said softly. Keith rubbed his eyes, yawning. “It’s fine.” He mumbled. “Has anyone ever told you that you look absolutely, quiznacking adorable when you’re sleeping?” Lance asked. Keith let out a small huff of laughter, “You.” He said. Lance chuckled, leaning down and kissing his head. “Come.” He whispered, pulling away. “Where?” Keith asked. “Some place I wanna show you. Come.” Lance said. “Lance, it’s way too early.” Keith said. Lance laughed, “Come on, get up.” He said. 

   “You’re such an early morning person.” Keith muttered. “And you love me for it.” Lance said, kissing his temple. He pulled away and stood up, watching Keith push himself up, sighing. He ran his fingers through his wild hair, fixing it. “Yeah I do.” He said. He then sighed, “What place is it?” He asked. “It’s kind of a surprise. I think you’ll like it. It’s nice and quiet. Come on.” Lance said, holding out his hand to him. Keith took it, “All right, fine.” He said, getting to his feet. Lance pulled him to him and amusingly kissed his cheek before walking out, leading him downstairs. “Uncle Lance! Uncle Keith!” At the sound of Nadia and Sylvio’s voice, they both turned to see the two kids running up to them. “Where are you going?” Nadia asked. “We’re going out somewhere.” Lance said. “Ooh, can we come?” Nadia asked, and Keith smiled, reminded too much of his mate because of her pleading, big blue eyes. “Sorry, kid. Maybe some other time, all right?” He said. 

They both made sounds of disappointment, and Lance and Keith laughed, walking outside

“I can’t get over how much Nadia looks like you. She’s got your cute, puppy dog blue eyes, that same kind of begging that you can’t resist, and she’s just as cute as you.” Keith laughed, shaking his head. “Not... _ as  _ cute as me, right?” Lance asked, looking at him. Keith smiled, “Of course not.” He said, reaching up and kissing his cheek in amusement. “You’re way more quiznacking adorable than her.” He said. Lance smiled, blushing. After a bit of walking, he led Keith into a coffee shop. “What’s so big about a coffee shop?” Keith asked as they sat down in front of each other at a table. “I used to come here when I was little. This shop is famous for their tea. I always said I wanted to bring my special someone here, and well...” Lance reached out and took his hands, “Who better than my husband?” He said, smiling shyly. 

   Keith turned crimson, smiling back just as shyly. Lance pulled away after a second, “I actually have a friend here. Hold on, I’m just going to go see if he’s working here today.” He said as he stood up, and kissed him on the top of his head before walking away. Keith watched him, a soft, lovesick smile on his face. “Excuse me?” Keith vaguely heard a voice, but didn’t pay attention to it. “Excuse me!” This time, he looked, and saw a girl standing in front of him. No doubt, she was the kind of girl that a guy would find pretty. With her nice blonde hair and green eyes, Keith could see she was the kind of girl who  _ knew  _ she was pretty. “I’m sorry. I just-Are you new here? I’ve never seen you here before.” She apologized. “I mean...to this shop, yeah. But to Cuba, no.” Keith said, instantly disinterested. He crossed his arms, closing himself off. He saw her react to this, but impressively play it off. “Really? I guess that makes sense. You must have come here from the east, huh?” The girl said. Keith made a noise of agreement, looking back, wondering where Lance was. 

“Are you waiting for someone?” The girl asked. 

Keith sighed, irritated. He slightly turned to her, “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but whatever you’re trying to do, I’m literally not interested, and I never could be, because I’m happily married. So would you please leave me alone?” He said, indicating his blue ring on his finger. Surprisingly, the girl didn’t react in the way he thought she would. She raised her hands, looking guilty, “I am so sorry. I had no idea. I’ll just-leave.” She apologized before walking away. Keith looked back again, and his irritation instantly faded when he saw Lance coming back, holding a white cup. “Hi. Sorry I took long, I was talking to my friend.” He said, sitting in front of him. Keith smiled, “It’s okay. Who’s your friend?” He said. “Oh, I knew him when I was little. His name’s Sam. Anyways, here. Try the tea.” Lance said before pushing the cup to Keith. Keith lifted the cup, taking a curious sniff. “Hm. Smells like cinnamon.” He said. 

   Lance smiled, “Go on.” He said. Keith blew on it before taking a small sip. He put down the cup, “Wow. That tastes like...the right kind of sweet. That’s so good. How’d you know I’d like it?” He said. Lance’s smile widened, “Cause I know you, and that’s actually what I used to get.” He said. Keith smiled, “You know...it kinda makes me think of you.” He said. Lance darkly blushed, “Wait, really?” He asked. “Yeah. Sweet, makes me feel all warm...” Keith trailed off as he reached out and brushed his fingers over Lance’s hand, “And light, like I’m on a cloud. You just made this my favourite tea.” He finished. Lance turned crimson, laughing nervously. “I’m glad you like it so much.” He stuttered. Keith smiled and leaned to him, affectionately kissing his cheek. 

“You’re so cute when you’re flustered.” He teased, pulling back

Lance laughed, “Stop it. Finish your tea so I can take you on a real date.” He stuttered. “Oh, a real date, huh? Where’re you taking me, loverboy?” Keith asked, smirking. Lance stuttered for a few seconds before his demeanour changed. He smirked as well and leaned to him, “Why don’t you leave that to me, sweetheart? The only thing I’m telling you is that we’ve got a bit of a road trip ahead of us.” He said. Keith’s smirk grew, “Hmm. That means we’re taking my bike, then?” He said. Lance’s eyes widened, and he drew back. “Nope.  _ No.  _ I already told you, I’m not going on that thing again. Keith, you promised! I’m not getting on your death bike!” He said. Keith laughed, “Then you can wear my death helmet. All right? Now come on. I don’t wanna be all cooped up in a car.” He said. “You were all cooped up in a car when we came here.” Lance said.

  “I didn’t mind ‘cause I was cooped up with you, sweetheart. You know that I’m a good driver. I’ve never gotten into an accident on it. I want to prove it to you.” Keith said. “Yes, Keith, I know you’re a good driver, you don’t have to prove anything to me. But bikes themselves are dangerous, it’s just-it’s too much risk.” Lance said. Keith reached out and took his hand, brushing his thumb over his knuckles, “Hey, hey, relax. You know you’re safe with me.” He said gently. Lance sighed, twining their fingers together, “I know. I know that more than anything.” He said. Keith smiled at him, “So?” He asked. Lance sighed again, “So let’s get on your death bike. I’ll tell you where to go.” He said. Keith leaned to him and gave him a quick kiss, “You’re so brave. C’mon.” He said proudly and affectionately. They stood up and got out of the shop, “You know, you tasted like sweet tea.” Lance mumbled. Keith laughed, blushing. They got onto his bike, and Keith gave Lance his helmet. “Here. Wear this.” He said. As Lance put the helmet on, Keith revved the engine. “Let’s get going.” He said before driving off. Lance shouted directions at him over the roar of the wind, and that was where Keith would go. 

They drove through to Havana, and finally stopped at a stone bridge, which lead to a huge castle. 

Keith gasped, “Is this the castle you were telling me about?” He asked. “Yep. It’s more of a fortress, but that was a long time ago. Now it’s just a tourist attraction. This is Morro Castle. Or, as it’s actually called,  _ Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro.  _ If you’re brave enough to say that name, that is.” Lance said. Keith let out a slight laugh, ”I love when you talk Spanish. But it’s actually so beautiful. And big.” He said. Lance chuckled, “You’re going to love the inside of it, then.” He said, taking off the helmet. Keith looked, only to darkly blush when he saw that Lance had helmet hair, making him look extremely cute. Lance looked at him, “What?” He asked, oblivious. ”You-Hold on.” Keith reached out, fixing his hair. After a few seconds, he pulled back. “Helmet hair.” He said. “Oh.” Lance said, blushing. 

    “What can you tell me about this castle?” Keith asked suddenly. “Oh, almost everything. Let me start at the beginning.” Lance said, looping his am through Keith’s, leading him over the bridge. “The fortress was originally under Spain’s control. And then in 1762, the British captured it, but it was returned to the Spanish a year later under treaty terms. It’s a port entrance for ships, and it guards the entrance to Havana Bay. It was built in...uh...1589 in response to raids on the harbour. The castle actually once used to house a school for lighthouse keepers, and there was a watchtower until the British blew it up in 1762. There was a lighthouse,  _ Faro Castillo del Morro,  _ which was added in 1846.” Lance began. “The current harbour master’s office is still in the fortress, and there’s a plaque that commemorates the 1762 siege by the ambassador of the United Kingdom. The castle was built, but it wasn’t really finished until 1630, and they’ve been putting in a bunch of additions to the fortress over the centuries. It was also really useful as a prison, and a lot of enemies of the government were imprisoned there. Escape was basically impossible.” He said. 

Keith smiled, “Wow. You know your history.” He said, extremely impressed.

Lance laughed, “Thank you. My mother told me it’s dark story all the time when I was little. I visited this place a lot. Oh, and uh, you should know that we’re staying ‘til night.” He said. “Why?” Keith asked curiously. Lance grinned widely, “Oh, I’d love to tell you but I can’t. It’s a surprise. You’re going to  _ love _ it, that’s for sure.” He said. Keith looked at him, wanting to know what it was that Lance wanted to stay until night for. “What time is it? Like, 6:00, right? So that leaves...” Lance trailed off, muttering under his breath, “3. 3 hours until you get to see it.” He said. “Wow, really? I don’t understand, what is it you want me to see?” Keith said. “I can’t tell you. You have to wait.” Lance said as they entered the castle. “We’ll leave the top of the castle for that time. For now, let’s go look around.” He said. So that’s what they did. Lance showed him the upper levels of the fortress, and the powder room. “This is what they used for old guns.” He said.

    “This castle doesn’t serve for its purpose as it used to.” Keith noted. “No, but it’s height still provides a watchful eye over the harbour. It‘s walls still hold strong, and it’s very well-constructed. There’s also this huge chain that they put in the water when the castle was finished in 1630. It’s pulled up whenever an unwelcome ship is spotted, and it stretches from the mouth of the harbour to La Punta Castle. It deals a good amount of damage, and it closes off the harbour. I don’t think it’s been used in a long while, but it’s still good.” Lance said. He then turned to him, “We should try to waste time. There’s actually a, um, small, underwater archeology exhibit here. Do you want to go see it?” He said. “Sure. That sounds nice.” Keith said. So they made their way to the exhibit. Time went by as they continued to explore, and Lance continued to point things out to Keith. Once it finally came close to 9:00 p.m, Lance grinned and looked at Keith. “All right, come on. It’s time. Up to the top of the castle we go.” He said, taking his hand and leading him up the worn steps. 

At the top of the castle, Lance lead Keith to the edge. 

“All right. See those cannons at the bottom of the fortress?” Lance said, pointing down. Keith leaned over, seeing the cannons. “Yeah? What about them?” Keith asked. Lance looked at his watch, “Keep looking out to the harbour. Wait for it...3...2...1!” He said. And then the cannons fired. Keith drew back, startled, his eyes going wider than humanly possible as he gasped. Lance laughed, touching his shoulder, “Told you! Pretty cool, isn’t it?” He shouted over the explosions of the cannons. Keith nodded, adrenalized. “It’s to signal that the city walls of Havana need to close for the night. But the castle itself isn’t closing. It doesn’t actually close until like, 5:30-ish in the morning.” Lance said. Keith continued to stare out at the clouds of smoke, his jaw open. Lance laughed again, “Look at you, you’re absolutely starstruck. I knew you’d like that.” He said. “I-honestly was not expecting that. That was-oh my god, Lance, that was  _ amazing.  _ I’ve never seen anything like that before, that was so cool!” Keith crazed over the canons like a child, and Lance found it extremely adorable. 

   “All right, all right, calm down, babe. You have a lot of adrenaline coursing through you right now.” He said amusingly. Keith looked like he was about to burst, laughing. “I know, but I just can’t! There were literal cannons firing, Lance! That was amazing, you’re the be- _ mmrph!”  _ Keith began, but then Lance leaned in and affectionately kissed him, cutting him off. Keith instantly returned the kiss, pulling him closer as Lance ran his fingers through his hair. Lance then pulled back, resting his forehead against Keith’s. “Calm down. You’re pretty quiznacking adorable when you get excited like that, but you’ll burst. Steady, sweetheart.” He whispered amusingly, continuing to run his fingers through his hair. “Okay.” Keith breathed. He calmed down as Lance kissed his forehead, chuckling quietly. 

“That was literally my reaction to seeing those cannons fire when I was younger. It still has that kind of affect on me.” He said.    
He then pulled away a bit, “So what’d you think?” He asked. “I’d love to come here again.” Keith said. Lance smiled, “Is that so? Well, I’d love to take you again. Next time, I promise.” He said. He then twined their fingers together, “What do you say we get out of here? We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.” He said. “Yeah, you’re right. Come on. Back on my death motorcycle we go.” Keith said. Lance laughed as they headed downstairs. “That should be our joke. Like, whenever we go for a drive, we say we’re going on your death motorcycle. Or bike.” He said. “It should be like, an inside joke too.” Keith said. Lance gasped, “Keith, you absolute  _ genius _ . That’s perfect.” He said, grinning widely. They walked out of the fortress, laughing.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t worry. Keith told him about the girl.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all thought the fluff would last? HAHAHAHAHA get ready

Keith and Lance were able to enjoy almost 2 weeks together.  _ Almost.  _ Unfortunately, and rather on a grave note, Pidge had sent them a message, requesting that they get back to the Blue Lion’s cave immediately. “We can’t get peace, can we?” Lance muttered as they headed back. “Pidge wouldn’t have contacted us unless it was really important. Or if...” Keith began, then trailed off. “Or if there’s a situation in space.” Lance finished gravelly. Keith glanced at him, seeing the uneasiness on his face that echoed how Keith felt. He sped his bike up. Within no time, they were running into Blue’s cave. ”Talk to me, Pidge. What is it?” Keith asked. “Remember how we thought that the rest of the Galra were focus on fighting each other, and were eventually going to wipe each other out?” Pidge asked. “Let me guess, they’ve stopped fighting.” Lance said. 

   “Exactly. You guys know that Hunk and I have been keeping an eye on space, watching the fight going on. Well just a bit before the end of the day yesterday, they stopped fighting. And now they’re immobilizing.” Pidge said. “Under Haggar.” Keith said so suddenly. They all looked to him as he crossed his arms. “It makes sense, doesn’t it? She disappeared. We didn’t know where she went off to. At least until now. The Galra are making one last effort to hold out, even if it’s under Haggar. That means they’re coming here.” He said. “We can’t let that happen. Earth is our home. We have to do everything to protect it.” Lance said. “So what do we do? She has a pretty big army.” Hunk asked. Keith took a deep breath, “We go out in our Lions to intercept them. But we don’t attack yet. We need to be able to see what we’re dealing with. Pidge, that means you need to do some recon in Green. Mom, has there been any word from Kolivan?” Keith said. 

“I’ve been trying to pick up transmissions, but I’m not getting anything. Instead I got this distress code from a planet a bit far away from Earth. Only senior Blades use this code. We should investigate it.” His mother said. 

“All right. Then you and I will head to the planet and see what’s going on. Lance, Hunk, Allura, I want you guys to wait within Earth’s atmosphere for Pidge to come back from her recon. If any small ships come close, take them out stealthily. We don’t want to alert any of the other ships and bring down a whole fleet on us. We don’t know if Haggar’s actually there among those ships until Pidge says so. She’ll probably be operating from afar, and we’ll need to get through the fleet to her. Don’t do anything else until Krolia and I join you guys. Shiro, Coran, I want you to get the Atlas ready, just in case anything slips by us. Everyone understand what they need to do?” Keith said. Everyone nodded. “All right. Let’s get suited up. Keith said. They headed to the Castle, getting their Bayards and Paladin armour. “You don’t want me to come with you?” Lance asked, sounding a little anxious. 

  “It’s all right. My mom, Blue and I can handle whatever or whoever is sending the distress signal. You just focus on your part, all right?” Keith said. He then reached out and touched his shoulder, “Keep your guard up, Sharpshooter. Something’s up with Haggar’s sudden appearance, and it can’t be good. She’s probably seeking something to do with Quintessence. I don’t know what Earth has to do with it, but we need to finish her and the Galra, once and for all. Keep your eyes and comms open. If anything happens while I’m not there, I know you can take charge.” He said. Lance nodded, and Keith lifted his hand up, touching his cheek. “I’ll see you when we’ve won. All right?” He said softly. Lance nodded again. Keith pulled him down, touching his forehead in assurance. “We won’t be separated for long. Stay safe out there, Sharpshooter.” He said. Lance slightly smiled, “You too, Samurai. Kick some Galra butt out there.” He said. Keith smiled and kissed his forehead, “Right back at you.” He said. He then pulled away, whistling for Blue and Krolia. He looked back at Lance and smiled at him again before running with them to Black. They then headed off. 

Lance watched Black disappear, still a bit anxious.

“Lance!” Hunk’s voice snapped him out of his stare, and he turned to see him and Allura with their helmets on. “Ready?” Hunk asked. Lance put on his own helmet. “Let’s get out there.” He said. Keith pushed Black’s controls forward, propelling him to go faster. They landed on the planet where the signal was coming from. Keith took out his Bayard as they walked through the ruins of the planet. “It looks like there was a massacre here.” His mother said. Keith looked around, scanning for biorhythms. “These strike patterns look...Marmorian.” He heard her murmur. “And magic.” Keith said, recognizing the erratic pattern of cracks that magic made on a concrete surface. Blue suddenly, threateningly growled, and Keith looked at him, “What is it?” He asked. Blue took off, leaping over the fallen building pieces. Keith ran after him, seeing he had pinned down a person. 

   “Good job.” He said to Blue before pointing his sword at the hooded figure. “Who are you?” He asked. “I am the one who sent out the distress signal.” The person said, sounding male. “Impossible. You’re no Blade of Marmora.” Keith said lowly. “I will explain if you lower your weapons.” The figure said. Lance was waiting with Hunk and Allura, slightly shifting his controls in anxiety. “Come on, Keith...” He whispered. “Pidge, what’s your status?” He called more loudly. “Coming up on the fleet now. Scanning ships...” Pidge’s voice came in, and she trailed off, muttering to herself. “Yeah, Keith was right. Haggar isn’t here. She’s somewhere far away, operating this attack. There’s at least 15 or more Galra ships, and about...7 Galra cruisers. I’m heading back now. Has Keith said anything yet?” She said. “No, not yet. Just get back here so that we can make a strategy. There are some Galra ships coming over here.” Lance said. 

“All right. I’ll be there in 2  _ doboshes.”  _ Pidge said. 

Lance opened the comms, trying to get a hold of Keith. “Keith. Keith, where are you?” He asked. Static. He tried to fix the signal, and got startled when he suddenly heard Keith yell in panic. It sounded like he was fighting. “Keith? Keith! What’s going on?” He said in alarm, fear hitting him. But the signal cut out again. Lance growled, “What the hell~” He tried to reboot the system, but it failed. “Something’s wrong. I can’t get through to Keith. I heard him yell, I think he’s in trouble.” Lance said. “The problem’s probably on his end. He can take care of himself, right now we need to get rid of these Galra ships.” Pidge said as she came beside them, her invisibility cloak disappearing. Keith focused hard, trying to figure out where Macidus was. He let out a roar and threw his sword just as Macidus appeared, and it plunged into his chest. He went still, and crumpled as he disappeared in a white light. Keith’s sword clattered to the ground, and he dropped his shoulders, trying to get his breath back. “Keith. There’s a ship that the Druid has. I’m going to take Kolivan and get him healed. You need to get back to the others.” Krolia said. “Make sure he’s okay. And mom, be careful.” Keith said. 

    “Of course.” Krolia said before running off. Blue came to him, and Keith touched his head. They teleported into Black, and Keith was alarmed by how crazy the comms were going. “ _ Goddamnit-it’s-going through! He’s-trouble! Kei-Answer-GAH-!”  _ He could hear Lance shouting frantically, but the comms were overtaken by static every few words. Keith instantly pushed Black’s controls forward, heading back into space. “Lance! Lance, what’s going on?” He asked. “Keith! God, I thought something happened to you! I was trying to get through to you, but the signal kept on getting cut off! The Galra ships, they’re attacking. We’re fending them off, but-“ Lance said, but cut off. “But what?” Keith asked. ”Red got hit by a plasma ray. He’s not-he’s not responding to me, and they’re-they’re preparing for another shot. Pidge and Hunk and Allura, they-they can’t focus on me, they’ll get hurt. I’m trying to fix this as fast as I can, but-“ Lance began, but Keith cut him off.

“Hold on.” He said.

He reached out to Red over their bond, trying to get him to power up.  _ Get him out of the way. Come on. Come on, get him out of the way!  _ He comes in time to see Red come to life, dodging the plasma ray. “Oh, there you are!” He heard Lance say in relief. Keith used his jaw blade to slash through the ship. “You all right?” He called. “Yeah. I’m okay. What happened to you on that planet, I heard you fighting.” Lance said. “Don’t worry about that right now. We need to get in formation. We need to form Voltron.” Keith said. And so, that’s what they did. “Form sword!” Keith shouted. Lance used his bayard, forming the sword. He and Keith worked together, as well as with the others. “What’s our plan for Haggar?” Allura asked. “We get through this fleet, and then attack her ship. We fight her as a team.” Keith said. “And if we can’t?” Hunk asked. “Hold her off until the others come.” Keith said. His Bayard port rose, “Lance!” He shouted.

   They both inserted their Bayards, forming the wings of Voltron, allowing them to move faster. They destroyed all the ships and cruisers. “Need any extra air support?” Shiro’s voice came in over the comms. “No. Just be ready for anything.” Keith said. He maneuvered the controls, looking around. “Pidge, what do you see?” He asked. “Over there! Just behind Mars!” Pidge said, and the screen indicated the huge Galra cruiser, floating behind the red planet. Voltron moved toward the cruiser, disbanding as they got out of their Lions and entered the ship. “We do this quick and without complications. We’ve got this.” Keith said. He turned to Lance, “You got my back, Sharpshooter?” He asked. “As long as you’ve got mine, Samurai.” Lance said. They ran off together down the hall, slicing through the Galra sentries. “Hunk, Pidge, Allura! Change of plans! Finish off the sentries and meet up with Lance and I at the observation deck! That’s where she’s gotta be!” Keith said. 

“Are you sure?” Pidge asked.

“Don’t worry, just do it!” Keith said. They stopped at the doors, and shared a look. They bursted through the doors, and sure enough, there the witch was, waiting for them. “Ah. I’ve been waiting for you. You two, more specifically.” She said. “You already know that you’re finished, Haggar. Why don’t you make this easier and surrender?” Keith hissed. From the shadows of her hood, Keith could see her smile. “You, Red Paladin, you’ve always had such a strange connection to Quintessence, haven’t you? You react so oddly to even small amounts of it.” She said suddenly. Keith gripped his sword, baring his fangs at her. “You would be so susceptible to having your Quintessence corrupted.” Haggar said. Lance sharply inhaled, his sniper powering up. “Try it, and this bullet goes through your head.” He growled. Haggar stepped up, maniacal laughter coming out of her. “And then there’s you, Blue Paladin. Your Quintessence is strong, but...” She turned to Keith, raising her hand. 

   “His would make him quite the special weapon.” She said, her purple magic flickering. “ _ NO!!”  _ Lance shouted in horror, and he ran and pushed Keith out of the way, taking the hit of the dark magic for himself. “Lance!” Keith cried in horror, watching him collapse. Haggar disappeared, her laughter echoing. Keith ran to Lance, shaking him. “Lance. Lance! Why would you-That was supposed to be for me, why would you-!” He began, but then Lance suddenly jerked, pushing Keith away. “Lance?” Keith asked, confused. Lance stood up, and faced him. “Oh no...what did she do to you?” Keith whispered in horror. He was still Lance. He had his curly, dark brown hair and light brown skin, and the scar on his right brow. But did he look like him? Not at all. His blue eyes were gone, replaced by a sharp yellow, and his smirk was menacing. And when he laughed, he didn’t sound like him at all. “What’s wrong, Keith? Don’t you recognize me? Don’t you recognize your mate?” He asked. He sounded so off, so unlike himself.

Keith instantly put away his bayard, taking a step back as his breathing and heartbeat slowed down.

“Lance...Haggar did this to you. She’s corrupted your Quintessence, she’s controlling you. Fight it. Fight  _ her.”  _ Keith said. “Fight it? Why would I fight it?” Lance asked. He then stepped to him, “Let me show you what it’s like to have this kind of power. You and I, we can be more than unstoppable. We can rule the universe together.” He said. He then grabbed his wrist and pulled him to him, running his fingers through his hair. “You and I...we can really be kings. Together forever. Nothing could touch us. All you have to do is say yes.” Lance dropped his voice. Keith shook his head, “No.” He said, pushing Lance away. But not too roughly. “This isn’t the real you. I know you’re in there somewhere, the  _ real  _ you. You have to fight her.” Keith said. Lance sighed, changing his sniper into his broadsword. “Lance, no. No-!” Keith shouted, and dodged him as he swung his bayard. “I’m not going to fight you! She’s controlling you, Lance! You would never fight me!” Keith said. 

   “Think of it as a spar!” Lance said, swinging his sword again. Keith jumped back, “Lance, please, listen to me! I know you can fight her! You’re stronger than her! You’re the most strongest fighter I know!” Keith said. Lance stopped at this, eyes flickering with emotions. “Lance. Lance, please...” Keith reached out to him, slowly becoming desperate. But then Lance flinched, and Keith ducked the powerful arc of his sword. “Scared you’re gonna hurt me? How  _ sweet.  _ Enough games, Samurai. Summon your sword.” Lance said. “No!” Keith shouted. Lance swung again, and growled when Keith dodged it, continuing to step back. “I said summon your sword! Fight back!” Lance snarled. “No! No.” Keith said. He stopped backing up, “I won’t fight back. I can’t. Not you. Not...not my mate. I can’t.” He said softly.

And that’s when he gave up on trying to dodge him. 

Lance ran at him and sent him skidding across the floor. He pinned him down, raising his sword. Keith whimpered, grabbing the handle, trying to push the sword away. “ _ Lance. Blue. Please...come back. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. Come back to me. Please, please come back to me. I love you.”  _ He whispered desperately, begging as tears spilled down his cheeks. Lance drew back, and Keith used the advantage to plunge the sword into the floor. He quickly grabbed Lance, pulling him down and kissing him in desperation. Lance went still against him for a second before he suddenly wrench away, pushing off him. Keith pushed himself up, seeing the yellow from Lance’s eyes fade to his beautiful, blue ones. “K...Keith?” He softly whispered. Keith scrambled to his feet and caught Lance before he could collapse. He panicked, “Lance? Lance!” He shook him frantically. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaa


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scream at me in the comments

Allura had taken care of Haggar while Keith carried an unconscious Lance into Black, hurriedly taking him back to Earth as Red followed. Keith paced beside Lance’s bed, constantly looking at him. Shiro was there as well, confused and worried. “What happened?” He asked. “Haggar mind controlled him. He tried to fight me.” Keith said softly. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Shiro asked. Keith whirled to him, consumed by pain and worry. “ _ How could you ask that? He would never. He’s my mate, and I’m his.”  _ He said fiercely. Shiro suddenly stared at him, “You didn’t fight back, did you?” He asked knowingly. Keith looked down at Lance, reaching out and brushing a strand of his hair from his face. “I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it. I gave up on trying to dodge him.” He said softly. “Keith, what the hell. Lance would never forgive himself if he had badly hurt you.” Shiro said sharply. 

   “I don’t need you to  _ lecture  _ me, Shiro.  _ I couldn’t.  _ I couldn’t bear to fight him. I love him way too much. I was ready to do anything to get him back. I just wanted him back. I would have given my life for him.” Keith said softly. Shiro lightly touched his shoulder before walking away. Keith looked down at Lance again, hearing his soft breaths and seeing his chest slowly rise and fall. He leaned down and lightly kissed his forehead, carefully and lightly nuzzling him in pure, absolute relief. “I couldn’t...I couldn't, Lance, I couldn’t. I couldn’t fight you. I’m so sorry. I could never even...” He trailed off as his breath hitched. “I’m supposed to protect you. You took that hit for me. That was my hit. I didn’t do enough to protect you...I didn’t react fast enough to stop you...I’m so sorry, Lance...” He whispered softly. Lance suddenly, softly groaned, stirring. Keith pulled back, seeing that his eyes were fluttering, meaning he was slowly coming to. 

“Keith...?” He softly mumbled. 

Keith let out a sharp breath of relief when he was met with Lance’s beautiful blue eyes, and smiled at him. “Lance. Hey. How do you feel?” He said softly. Lance slightly pushed himself up to a more comfortable position. “Uh...Fine? What...what happened? Were we on a mission?” Lance said, confused. “You don’t remember?” Keith asked. Lance shook his head, frowning. “That’s okay. It’s just ‘cause you were mind controlled by Haggar. Your memory should be coming back in a few days. But yeah, we  _ were  _ on our last mission together. She made you fight me, and I couldn’t fight you back. You snapped out of it after a bit, but then you collapsed. I...I was really scared. But I knew you’d come through. I’m so glad you’re awake and okay.” Keith said, reaching out and running his fingers through his hair. Lance twitched, startled, pulling away. Keith pulled back, “What? What’s wrong? You’re okay, you’re with me.” He asked, concerned. “No, it’s just-what you did. You’ve never done that before.” Lance said.

   “What do you-What are you talking about? Are you joking with me? You’re joking, right? All right, that’s very funny-“ Keith began, but Lance cut him off. “What-I literally don’t know what you’re talking about. Since when have you ever done that?” He said. Keith stayed silent as dread consumed him. “Lance...what’s the last thing you remember?” He then asked carefully. “Um...us crashing on Treyiv. My hands being badly damaged...The Galra and Zarkon targeting us.” Lance said. Fear crashed into Keith. “Oh my god, she made you lose your memories.” He whispered softly in horror. Lance’s eyes widened as he gasped, “What? No. No, that’s not-no, no-“ He instantly panicked, his breaths growing shaky and uneven. Keith put his hands on his shoulders, “Hey, hey, calm down. Easy. Easy, Sharpshooter. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you panic.” He said soothingly, trying to calm his distressed mate. 

“Breathe with me, all right? Focus on me. One.” Keith said.

They breathed together. “Two.” Keith said. Lance breathed in again. “Three.” They did it again. Lance’s shaky breaths eased, and he calmed down, though he was still shocked. “She made me lose my memories.” He said softly. No wonder Lance pulled away from him. Them crashing on Treyiv had been before they became mates. Way before they were engaged, and way before they were married. And Lance didn’t remember any of it. Keith sighed, rubbing his arm soothingly. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. Haggar was going to hit me, but you pushed me out of the way. I reacted too late.” He said. “I don’t...I don’t remember anything...” Lance said, looking small and upset. Keith’s heart reached out to him, wanting to take that vulnerable look off his mate’s face.

    “I know. It’ll come back to you. You just need time.” He said sympathetically, and gently. Why was this happening? Something dark consumed Keith. If he had gotten to Haggar and not Allura, he would’ve  _ torn  _ through her. But he couldn’t do anything about that. Now, he had to focus on Lance, and to help him. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you get your memories back.” He said suddenly. “Really?” Lance asked, looking hopeful. “Of course. We’re a team. You’ve got my back, I’ve got your’s.” Keith said assuringly. Lance smiled, “Thanks, Keith.” He said softly. “But we’ll go slow, okay? Just so you don’t get overwhelmed. I’d rather that didn’t happen.” Keith said. Lance let out a short laugh, “Yeah, I wouldn’t want that to happen either.” He said. Keith itched with the strong instinct of wanting to kiss his cheek. But that would be weird for Lance, who didn’t have his memories of them being mates. So Keith held back, settling for smiling fondly at him. “Come. Let me see how you can walk.” He said, standing up. Lance sat up, confused. “It’s...just a hit to the head, Keith.” He said. “I know. Just let me see.” Keith said. But Lance continued to stare at him. Keith felt self-conscious, instantly turning red. “What?” He asked nervously, crossing his arms. 

“That, uh...that blue on your cheeks. Where did you...get that?” Lance asked.

Keith touched his cheek on instinct, and turned even redder as he tried to figure out how on Earth to explain the marks to him. “Well, it’s paint. Koda put on me at the...” Keith trailed off, the word “dance” leaving his mouth in a soft whisper. “What?” Lance asked, having not heard him. “There was a dance that Queen Loucia threw. The paint wasn’t related to it. Just...decoration, I guess I could say.” Keith said. “A dance? Wow. Was it fun?” Lance asked. Keith smiled, the memory of them dancing together for the first time coming to mind. “Yeah. It was.” He said. “Wait, so you danced?” Lance asked. “Yeah? Why?” Keith asked. “I-You-You’ve never danced before.” Lance said, smiling. “That day meant so much to me.” Keith decided to say, his smile growing. “Really? Why?” Lance asked curiously. Keith shook his head. “I can’t tell you that, Sharpshooter. You have to remember.” He said. Lance pouted, “Aw, why?” He asked. Keith looked away from him, trying to stop himself from affectionately teasing him. 

_ Control yourself. He has no idea who you are to him, and who he is to you.  _ “Just-cause.” Keith said. He heard Lance stand, “Hey, let me see the paint again.” He said. Keith turned, and got surprised by how close Lance was to him, leaning to him. Keith leaned back a bit, panicking, turning dark red as Lance’s soft breaths lightly brushed against his face. Lance’s smile widened, “It looks nice on you. The blue paint.” He said, his blue eyes glittering. Keith was hit with deja vu, remembering how Lance had almost said the same words the night of their dance. Keith thought he was going to explode from how flustered he was, his whole face and ears turning crimson. “Th-thank you.” He stuttered, his heart roaring wildly. Lance pulled back, his own cheeks a bright red. And then Keith remembered. Lance remembering up to them crashing on Treyiv...yes, he thought they were still friends at that time, but he had been falling for Keith. 

But did he remember accepting it? 

That must be why Lance had gotten so close to him. Lance  _ had  _ been flirting with him on Treyiv when he had accepted that he was falling for him. “But uh...why blue? Looks like you got something for me, Mullet.” Lance asked suddenly smirking.  _ There it was.  _ Keith knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself, shooting back on instinct. “Well, you must have something for me, then, ‘cause you’ve got the same paint, except their red.” He said. Lance’s eyes widened, “ _ What?!”  _ He shrieked, touching his cheek on instinct. “Why would I-! How come you-What’s that supposed to mean?!” He asked frantically, turning even redder. Keith laughed, “What makes you think it means anything?” He asked playfully. Lance got even more flustered, “Who are you, and what have you done to my oblivious Mullet?” He asked, pointing at him accusingly. “Nothing happened to me!” Keith said, laughing. “You’ve never done that before!” Lance said. “Done what?” Keith asked. “You’ve never-you’re playing with me!” Lance said.

   Keith slightly drew back in surprise, “I’m not-I’m just teasing you, Lance.” He said. “You weren’t like that. Always so tense and on edge.” Lance said, crossing his arms. “That was a long time ago. You and me, we joke a lot now. You changed me.” Keith said. “Really?” Lance asked. Keith smiled, “Yeah. I know you don’t remember, but we do. Do you believe me?” He said. Lance smiled, making Keith’s heart flip a few thousand times. “All I wanted was that. Of course I believe you.” He said. 

Over the next two days, Keith slowly helped Lance fill in his blank gaps, leaving out most of their memories together. 

Keith was sort of panicking. All day, Lance was being very touchy. Physically affectionate. He’d grab Keith’s hand, his thumb brushing over the back of it, and sling his arm around his shoulders. Was it hard for Keith to reciprocate? He couldn’t even believe how hard it was for him to not reciprocate. “How long do you think it’ll be before Keith breaks?” Hunk asked. “I don’t even think he’ll last the day. He’s trying so hard to control himself.” Pidge said, grinning. Keith twitched slightly when he felt Lance’s arm sling around his shoulders, leading him down the hall. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” He said. “Go on.” Keith said. They walked outside, and Lance turned to him, lifting his hand. “This. This red ring. When did I get it?” He asked. Keith’s eyes widened as he looked at Lance’s hand, then at Lance. “And you have a blue one.” Lance said. Keith stuttered, turning crimson, wondering how on Earth he was going to explain  _ the rings  _ of all things. 

    “Are we like, bound to each other or...or something?” Lance asked nervously. “Yes-I mean-No-I-I mean-“ Keith stuttered crazily, his heart going wild. “I-I don’t-I don't know how-how to explain it to you. You’d think I was crazy. You wouldn’t believe me. You’d run away from me. I can’t...I can’t tell you. I can’t tell you that you...that I...It’s not...It’s not right. You have to know yourself, and I don’t-I don’t know if you...” Keith cut himself off, his breath hitching. He crossed his arms, ducking his head. He suddenly,  _ desperately  _ wanted Lance back. “I wouldn’t do that.” Lance said. “How are you so sure?” Keith asked, unable to look at him. “I wouldn’t, Red. I trust you with my life.” Lance. Keith hadn’t heard his nickname. “I know you do. I just-I...I-I miss you. I want you back. I want you to have your memories back. It hurts so much that you don’t remember-that you don’t remember me. I just-I-I want you back. Please...I-I want-I want my mate back.” Keith became even more desperate, softly pleading. 

Lance came closer to him, “Hey, hey, slow down.” He said gently, reaching out and putting his hands on his cheeks, making him look at him.

“What are you...” Keith began to ask in confusion, but Lance cut him off. “It’s okay.” He said softly. He then leaned down and kissed him. Keith twitched, startled, not knowing what to do. Lance pulled back, smiling. “I can’t believe you didn’t realize. Always so oblivious. I remember, you stupid, Red idiot.” He teased. “Lance.” Keith breathed, realization hitting him. “Your one and only, sweetheart.” Lance said. “But-how?” Keith asked. “It all came back when you were saying you couldn’t tell me about our rings.” Lance said. “You got me back.” He then said softly. Keith broke into the most biggest smile ever as he laughed, “Lance!” He cried, reaching up and happily tackling him with a kiss, throwing his arms around his neck. Lance wrapped his arms around his waist, returning the kiss. Keith drifted his hands down, wrapping his arms around Lance’s torso. 

   He lifted him up, and Lance let out a small cry of surprise, holding onto him, “Hey! Babe, put me down!” He giggled in between kisses. Lance’s laugh was the most wonderful sound ever. Keith then put him down, pulling away and resting his forehead against his. He purred loudly with powerful affection, “God...you have no idea how much I missed you, Blue.” He whispered, his face crimson. Lance laughed, his face just as red. “Oh, I know.” He said, running his fingers through his hair. Keith pressed into his hand, wanting more. He then leaned in, gently and affectionately nuzzling him as he purred. Lance nuzzled him back, his giggling quieting into soft laughter. “I love you so much.” Keith whispered. “I love you too.” Lance whispered back.


	34. Chapter 34

“To a safe universe, forever and always!” Shiro said. Everyone cheered. “So Lance, you have all your memories back, right?” Pidge said. “Yeah. It was actually terrible. Not remembering anything. Not remembering who Keith is, and all our memories together.” Lance said. He then turned to him, “It was so hard for you. Not to tell me about our memories.” He said. Keith touched his arm, rubbing it soothingly, “Don’t get so worked up about it. You got your memories back.” He said gently. “I thought it would go on longer, to be honest.” Pidge said. She and Hunk then walked away to Shiro and Allura. Lance looked at Keith, “Hey...I’m sorry.” He said softly. “What for?” Keith asked. “For...fighting you.” Lance said. Keith reached out and touched his cheek, gently shushing him. “Hey, hey, stop that. Don’t worry so much about what could’ve happened. I don’t want you to feel guilty.” He said. Lance leaned in and gently kissed his cheek, “I never want to fight you again.” He whispered, lightly nuzzling him.

   Keith nuzzled him back in comfort, softly purring. “And you won’t, sweetheart. It’s okay.” He murmured softly. Lance was calmed by his soft breaths, relaxing as Keith’s fingers ran through his hair. “I was thinking...” Lance suddenly said. “Hmm?” Keith said. “Do you want to go back to Cuba tomorrow? Just to...finish our vacation?” Lance asked softly. Keith slightly smiled and planted a few kisses on his cheek, making Lance let out a small laugh. “‘Course we can go back.” He said. “3 days?” Lance asked. “Yeah. Whatever you want.” Keith said. Lance shifted his head and gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you.” He whispered. He then suddenly pulled back and stood up. “Where are you going?” Keith asked curiously. Lance only smiled, and looked around. “Hey guys!” He said. Everyone looked to him. “I’d like to make a toast.” He said. He turned to Keith and smiled again, “To our amazing, incredible leader. The most greatest, courageous, strongest, and best half-Galra fighter I’ve ever known. To leading us into the greatest battle that gave us and Earth our greatest victory. To my best friend, my partner, and my husband. To Keith McKogane!” He said. Keith stood up, wide-eyed than ever, turning crimson. “To Keith!” The others shouted. 

Lance came to Keith, smiling widely.

“Thank you.” Keith said softly, blown away. He reached out and took Lance’s hand. “That was the most sweetest thing you’ve ever done for me.” He said. “Consider this my repayment for your wanting to go to Earth so my family could be there when we got married.” Lance said. Keith smiled and reached up, kissing his cheek in affection as he softly purred. “I told you, you didn’t have to owe me for that.” He whispered. “Don’t say that, of course I did. That wouldn’t have been fair, I would have felt guilty if I didn’t repay you for your sweet gift.” Lance said softly. Keith let out a small huff of laughter, “Well...your gift was sweet too.” He said, reaching up to run his fingers through his curly locks. “Hey lovebirds.” Pidge’s voice made them both turn to her, seeing her getting ready to turn in. “You guys staying up?” She asked. “For a little longer, yeah.” Lance said. “All right. See you guys in the morning.” Pidge said. “See ya, Pidge.” Keith said. She walked away, Hunk following after.

   Shiro, Allura, and the others did as well, leaving Lance and Keith alone in the lounge. “It's just hit me.” Lance said. “What?” Keith asked. “Us finally having our victory. I remember you promising that we would get to go to Earth after our last battle when I was homesick.” Lance said. He reached out, twining their fingers together as he softly sighed. “We really are the kings of the universe.” He said, smiling. Keith smiled, “Yeah. Yeah, that’s right, my King.” He said. Lance’s smiled widened, “I completely forgot about that. You were supposed to call me that for a whole week because you lost at Hide and Seek.” He said, laughing. “I forgot too. I’m sorry, love.” Keith admitted, laughing as well. Lance darkly blushed, “That’s  _ my  _ nickname, sweetheart.” He said. Keith chuckled, his purring growing louder as he lightly nuzzled him. “Am I flustering you? I’m sorry, darling.” He teased. Lance laughed, “And now you’re calling me darling. How smooth, babe.” He said nervously.

Keith laughed, pulling away. 

  
Lance whined at the loss of contact, following after him in protest. “You baby. Come on, it’s late. We need to be up early, don’t we?” Keith teased. “You’re always ruining the moment.” Lance muttered. “Funny enough that you remember it.” Keith joked. “Keith, are you serious? You really-“ Lance began, but then Keith gently grabbed his sweater, pulling him in and giving him a quick kiss. “There. Happy?” Keith asked, pulling back, turning red. Lance smiled idiotically, “Very.” He said, and Keith turned even redder. “Oh my God, babe,  _ come on.”  _ He said, turning away, pulling him with him. Lance laughed, blushing just as darkly as he let him lead. “You know you love me.” He said. “Yeah. Way too much.” Keith muttered. Lance came beside him, affectionately kissing his cheek. Keith shyly smiled, his face and ears crimson. “Stop it.” He mumbled nervously, timidly touching his cheek.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gay? Extremely.

“The Garrison was talking about your victory earlier. You should have seen it. Shiro was there, talking about you and Keith.” Veronica said. Lance grinned, “Did he, now?” He asked. He looked at Keith, “Hey, babe, did you hear that? Shiro was talking about us.” He said. Keith rolled his eyes, “I know. Don’t let it get to your head.” He said amusingly. “You should be celebrating. We’re like-famous.” Lance said. Keith raised a brow, “Tell me how it would go if you put me in a crowd with a bunch of screaming fans.” He said. Lance laughed, “You’d be so cutely awkward, just standing there, stuttering and shifting side to side.” He teased. Keith blushed, but he nodded. “Exactly.” He said. “Hey, but you’d be with me if we ever did get surrounded by screaming fans.” Lance said. “You know I can’t really deal with that, Blue. I’m not a people person like you.” Keith said, shaking his head. Lance reached out and rubbed his arm, “I know. That’s okay.” He said.

    Veronica got up, “I gotta head to the Garrison. See you boys later.” She said, walking away. “See ya, Ronnie.” Lance called after her as she closed the door. Keith looked at Lance, and Lance met his eyes. “What? What’s wrong?” He asked. “You’re not going to stick me with a bunch of screaming fans, are you?” Keith asked, looking a bit anxious. Lance chuckled amusingly and leaned in to kiss his cheek, “Of course not. Relax, babe. We’ll stay low ‘til the heat dies down. All right?” He said softly, lightly bumping their noses together. “Thank you.” Keith whispered gratefully. Lance gently nuzzled him, “No prob, sweetheart.” He murmured softly. Keith nuzzled him back, a soft, loving purr rumbling inside him. Lance suddenly pulled away with a gasp, and Keith whined at the loss of contact in both protest and confusion, his purring stilling. “What?” He asked.

“You just made me think of something. Disguises.” Lance said. 

“What about disguises?” Keith asked. “For us to wear when we go out, obviously!” Lance said. “Nope. No. I’m not doing that. I hate disguises. Remember the space mall?” Keith said. “We were dressed up as space pirates, Keith, I don’t think anyone sensible enough would have found that very memorable either. But with disguises that you’re okay with, it’ll make you feel a whole lot better.” Lance said amusingly. “What kind of disguises are you talking about?” Keith asked. “I might have something in mind. Come on.” Lance said, standing up. Keith stood up, confused, following Lance to his room. “I don’t understand why we have to do this.” Keith said. “Well, I had the thought that laying low would mean we stay in one place. And that is  _ not  _ what I had planned for you, and for us. I said I was taking you everywhere, and I’m taking you everywhere. You don’t like to be cooped up, and I like to move around. It’s a...” Lance began, then trailed off and grinned. 

   He made a funny motion, gesturing back and forth, “It’s a win-win scenario. You get what I mean?” He said. Keith stared at him, an amused smile growing on his face as he crossed his arms. “You’re so adorable. Yes, I get what you mean.” He said fondly. “Well then, there you go. That’s why we need disguises.” Lance said. He then stared at Keith, shifting his weight as he put his hands on his hips. “Put up your hair.” He said suddenly. “Why?” Keith asked. “It’s part of your disguise. The way you look right now, this is how people recognize you. Mullet, black clothes, scar, blue marks. If you put your hair up, they won’t recognize you. I know it seems ridiculous and won’t do much, but it at least does something.” Lance said. Keith nodded in understanding, and began to tie up his hair. “Let’s see what I’ve got here...Ooh! This would work perfect for you!” Lance pulled out a red, sleeveless thin sweater from his closet, showing it to Keith. Keith slightly smiled, “Why do you have a red sweater in your closet?” He asked.

“Not everything that I have is red is associated with you, Keith. Besides you yourself.” Lance laughed, throwing the sweater at him. 

“Besides, I have a matching blue one. You’re not special, Samurai.” He then said. Before Keith could try on the sweater, Lance suddenly turned to him, “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” He said, as if he had said the worst thing ever. Keith laughed, “Lance, relax. I know you didn’t.” He said amusingly. “Okay, ‘cause I didn’t want you to think that I actually meant it in that way. ‘Special’ doesn’t fit you, anyway.” Lance said, turning red, flustered. Keith smiled, turning dark red. “That’s...that’s sweet, Blue.” He said shyly. Lance smiled back, and leaned in and kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome. Now get changed.” He said. Once they both got changed, Lance suddenly took Keith’s hand and made him sit on the bed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but...I’m going to have to cover up your cute scar.” He said. 

   “All part of the disguise, isn’t it?” Keith said. Lance sighed and leaned in, planting a few kisses on his scar, making Keith let out a soft laugh. “That’s so unfair...I don’t want to...” Lance said. “But you have to. And my marks, too, as well as your’s. I think you can get by with your scar, though.” Keith said. “No, I have to cover up that, too. They’d recognize me immediately.” Lance said as he pulled back. He rubbed his forehead, “Let’s just get through with this.” He said. Keith laughed. Once Lance finished covering up Keith’s scar and marks, it was Keith’s turn to do the same for Lance. “Don’t be such a baby, it’s only for a few days.” Keith said amusingly, seeing that Lance was slightly pouting at him. “But it’s so unfair. I love your scar, why do you have to cover it? Why couldn’t I have just made it different?” Lance whined. “Different how?” Keith asked as he moved to cover Lance’s scar. “Shaped it different. Made it a different colour.” Lance said. Keith laughed, kissing his forehead, “It wouldn’t have made a difference, babe.” He said amusingly. Lance grumbled under his breath, “And our marks, too. Of all things, I swear-“ He cut himself off, sighing.

Keith shook his head, “You’re so adorable. I don’t need my marks to show that you’re mine. And I don’t need yours to know that I belong to you.” He murmured softly and amusingly, leaning in and lightly nuzzling him as he softly purred in affection.

Lance softened and nuzzled him back, “Neither do I.” He whispered. They pulled away after a few seconds, “So where’re you taking me today?” Keith asked. Lance smiled, “It’s a surprise. Today, there’s gonna be a parade going on, but that’s not really relevant to what I want to show you.” He said. “Just for a celebration?” Keith asked curiously. “Yep. We throw parades every day ‘cause we’re known as the city that never sleeps. I’ll take you to one tomorrow, but today is going to be fun. Today, the only hint I’m giving you is that it involves a really romantic walk under, like, this whole canopy of trees. And a walk through the city, cause we’re going to this place where we’re gonna be doing some star-gazing.” Lance said. “Is something special about tonight?” Keith asked. Lance’s smile widened, but he didn’t answer him, making Keith even more curious. 

   “Come on. Let’s get on your death bike. We’re heading back to Havana.” Lance playfully said instead, standing up. Keith quickly followed him, Lance’s playfulness catching his full interest and attention. Whatever it was, Lance seemed excited to show him this surprise. “Can’t you tell me?” Keith asked as they headed off on his bike. “Nope!” Lance said. Once they got into Havana, Lance took his hand and lead him down a path, the playful smile still on his face. “This whole trail is called  _ Paseo del Prado.”  _ Lance said. Keith looked ahead, seeing the canopy of trees he had been talking about. Some photographers were taking pictures, and one of them called to Lance in Spanish, beckoning them. “What’s he saying?” Keith asked. Lance turned to Keith, cheeks red, his playful smile turning into a nervous one. “He’s saying we should take a picture together. I took you here ‘cause this is a place that married couples walk through. It’s really romantic. Anyways, um...He doesn’t seem to recognize us.” He said. 

“A...um...a picture?” Keith asked nervously.

“Yeah. He’s a professional, he does this all the time. Do you want me to tell him no?” Lance said. Keith thought about it for a second. “No, that’s okay. We’ve been taking pictures this whole trip, haven’t we? Well actually,  _ you  _ have, but you get what I mean.” Keith said. “So it’s okay, then?” Lance asked. Keith nodded, “It won’t hurt, I guess.” He said. Lance smiled and turned to the photographer, saying something in Spanish. The man said something back, and Lance turned to Keith, “I told him just one picture. He said that he’ll do it for free, which is really sweet of him. I think he knows we’re newlyweds.” He said, taking his hand and pulling him in front of the photographer. “Wow.” Keith said. He suddenly felt Lance’s hand gently brush through his hair, ”Keith.” He said softly. 

   Keith looked at him in response, a bit distracted, only to slightly startle when Lance leaned in and gently kissed him. It only lasted 2 seconds, as Lance was already pulling back, red-faced, smiling shyly at him. He then looked to the photographer and said something in Spanish, and the photographer answered. Keith vaguely recognized that he was saying “yes”. Lance came to him and took the photo, and saying a word that Keith was pretty sure meant “thank you”. He came back and took Keith’s hand, entwining their fingers as they continued to walk through the trail. “You’re so cheesy.” Keith mumbled, shaking his head. “For you, yeah.” Lance said. Keith felt his whole face burst into flames. “That photo’s going with the others, isn’t it?” He then asked. “Yeah.” Lance said. Keith couldn’t stop smiling, and it only grew wider and wider with every second. 

Once they went through the trail, the Sun was at its highest point in the sky as they walked through Havana. 

Keith shielded his eyes whenever he accidentally made eye contact with it, feeling its persistent heat on him. “Oh yeah. It’s like, insanely hot today. Don’t touch anything metal, you’ll burn your hand off.” Lance pointed out. But then Lance does exactly that, accidentally touching a metal bar. He yelped and jumped away, cradling his hand. Keith gasped, “Oh my god, are you okay??” He asked in worry as Lance hissed in pain, shaking his hand. Keith gently took it, searching it. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Just a little burn. My fault, I wasn’t paying attention. But that’s what I meant.” Lance said. Keith hissed in sympathy, carefully running his fingers over his hand, “Lance...oh my god, your hand is already red.” He said worryingly, biting his lip. Lance’s hand twitched as if he was about to pull away in reflex, but he held strong. “Keith, I’m fine, I swear. It was an accident.” Lance said assuringly. 

   “You need ice, Lance. Hold on, let me get you some.” Keith said. After he found some ice, he wrapped it up, giving it to Lance. Lance pressed it to his hand, slightly wincing. “Come on. I don’t want this to slow us down, let’s keep going.” He said, indicating with his head before walking ahead. “Lance, I don’t want you to walk around with your hand like that.” Keith said, worried. “It’s just a small burn. I’m okay, I swear. I’d tell you if I wasn’t, you know that. I’ll wrap it up when its cooled down, I promise. Now come on.” Lance said. They continued to walk through the city, with Keith continuing to check Lance’s hand in case it got worse. The ice was beginning to melt in the hot Sun, and Lance threw it away, wrapping it up like he promised he would. “Is it okay? Does it hurt?” Keith asked. 

“Nah. It’s numb. The burn’ll go away by tomorrow night.” Lance said. 

“How do you know that?” Keith asked. “Pidge. She knows her stuff.” Lance said. As the sky began to turn dark, Lance’s playful smile came back. He came closer to Keith and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, “There’s a hill past these buildings that I go to to star-gaze. No one else knows about it. Come on. It’s almost time.” He said. “For what?” Keith asked, letting him lead. “You’ll see.” Lance teased. Keith looked at him, frowning curiously. But he let Lance lead him toward the small hill. They sat at the top, fingers tightly entwined. “Let’s play a little game before it starts.” Lance said. Keith slightly smiled, “Okay. Name the stars?” He said. “Oh, you know me so well. I’ll go first. Polaris” Lance said. “Sirius.” Keith said. “Arcturus.” Lance said. “Changing it up? All right. Castor.” Keith said. “Look, it’s started.” Lance said, pointing to the sky.

    Keith looked, only to see that the sky was being lit up by shooting stars. Or rather, meteors. He slightly gasped, his eyes going wide. “This is what you were talking about?” He asked. “Yeah. I’ve been dying to show you a meteor shower ever since we came here, but it wasn’t the right time until now.” Lance lightly laughed. “It’s so clear.” Keith said. He then looked at Lance, only to turn red when he saw that Lance had been watching him with a soft smile. “What?” He asked nervously, slightly self-conscious. “Well, I’ve seen a bunch of meteor showers almost everyday. And I always thought they were the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen. But they all pale in comparison to you, sweetheart.” Lance said. Keith’s breath hitched as he turned crimson, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Oh.” He breathed. 

He was suddenly hyper aware of how close they became, just a breath away. Keith was so caught in Lance’s eyes, feeling as if he was drowning in an ocean. And he never wanted to resurface. He gave in to instinct and closed the gap between them, softly kissing Lance. Lance instantly returned the kiss, and Keith could feel his fingers gently brushing over his cheek and drifting through his hair. Everything fell away. It only became the two of them, and time was slowing down. Lance suddenly pulled away a bit, his other hand curling into Keith’s sweater. “I don’t want our trip to end.” He murmured softly. Keith ran his fingers through his curly brown locks, “Neither do I. I had so much fun with you.” Keith whispered admittedly. Lance softly laughed, a lovesick smile coming to his face. “I did too. Can’t we stay a little more?” He whispered. From his own heavy haze of lovesickness, Keith would have agreed to stay a whole year if Lance had asked him to. 

   “I still have so much to show you. I haven’t shown you everything. 3 days isn’t enough. Not for me.” Lance whispered. Keith smiled, gently kissing his cheek. “Another week, then.” He whispered. Lance’s smile grew, “You’re joking.” He said. Keith pulled away and shook his head, “Nope. I’m not. I’m being serious.” Keith said, smiling. “You actually said another week.” Lance said. “Yeah. I did.” Keith said. Lance smiled and leaned to him, “Can I marry you?” He asked, kissing his cheek. “You already married me 2 weeks ago, Blue.” Keith said amusingly, purring loudly. “But I want to marry you again.” Lance mumbled, planting a few more kisses where Keith’s scar was hidden. Keith let out a soft laugh, turning crimson, “Stop.” He whispered. Lance chuckled, ”I love you, Keith McKogane.” He whispered, pulling back. Keith smiled widely, “I love  _ you _ , Lance McKogane.” He whispered back. Lance softly giggled, “Say it again.” He said. 

“Lance McKogane.” Keith said as he laughed. 

“Again.” Lance said childishly. “Lance McKo- _ mmrph!”  _ Keith began, but then Lance leapt at him and tackled him with a kiss as he laughed, cutting him off as they both fell to the grass. Their laughter echoed throughout the night as they playfully tackled each other. At one point, they both let out shrieks of surprise as their play-fighting sent them tumbling down the hill, flying away from each other. Lance burst out in uncontrollable laughter as the world spun from dizziness, and he could hear Keith laughing as well. “Babe-you all right?” He gasped, slowly pushing himself up. Keith was lying there, a few feet away, wheezing from how hard he was laughing. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Keith breathed out. Once the world stopped spinning, Lance crawled to him, laughing. “Hey you.” He said affectionately. Keith looked at him, “Hey.” He said, still loudly purring. Lance reached out, pulling his wild bangs out of his face. Keith pressed into his hand, wanting more. “You wanna get outta here?” Lance asked. “Why? You don’t want to keep watching the meteor shower?” Keith asked. 

   “ _ You’re  _ a meteor shower, babe.” Lance said. “What kind of smooth pick-up line-“ Keith cut off, laughing. Lance chuckled, leaning down and planting a few kisses all over his face. Keith burst out in uncontrollable laughter, trying to duck away. “Hey-! Lance! St-stop it! Stop it!” He giggled. Lance pulled away, laughing. He then pulled him up, and they both got to their feet as their laughter slowly faltered. “Come on. It’s getting late. We should get out of here.” Lance said. “Back onto my death bike, then.” Keith said. Lance shook his head, “Back onto your death bike.” He agreed uneasily. Keith laughed.


	36. Chapter 36

“There is a diplomacy meeting coming up in 2  _ quintants _ . All the leaders of the Coalition will be there, as well as you, no doubt.” Kolivan said. “Of course. We’ll bring the Castle to space, and you and the leaders can come inside.” Keith said. Kolivan had suddenly contacted Keith early in the morning, prompting him and Lance to come back to the Castle with the others. Kolivan shifted his gaze on something else. “You, Red Paladin. They would like for you to give a speech.” He said. Keith turned to Lance and smiled widely. Lance looked surprised, “Me? Really?” He asked. “Yes. You  _ are  _ Voltron’s co-leader, and you are quite the diplomat besides Allura.” Kolivan said. Lance looked at Keith, then at Kolivan. “I...don’t know what to say.” He said. Keith touched his arm, “Accept it.” He encouraged, proud. Lance smiled at him, then turned back to Kolivan nodded. “I accept. We’ll see you in 2 quintants, Kolivan.” He said.

   Kolivan nodded, and the transmission ended. Keith sharply inhaled, turning fully to Lance. “That’s amazing. You, going up to the leaders of the Coalition and giving a speech. You’re going to do great.” He said proudly. The others agreed, and Lance’s smile widened, “Yeah. And it’s such a big deal too. It makes me think of Shiro, and how many times he’s had to do diplomatic speeches. I feel so honoured that he asked me, it’s such a big responsibility.” He said. And then his smile faded, and Keith knew it hit him. “Oh my god, I’m doing the speech. Oh my god.” He said, his eyes wide. Keith reached out and put his hands on his arms, “Hey, you’ll be fine. Don’t worry so much about it, I’m going to help you. You’re so good at giving speeches, this one won’t be any different.” Keith said. “Yeah, but I’ve never given one in front of the leaders of the Coalition. I don’t really know what to say.” Lance said. “It’s okay, I’ll help you. You have no idea how proud I am of you, Lance. I am so, so proud of you.” Keith said, smiling at him. 

Lance slightly smiled back.

“Thank you.” He whispered. Keith took his hand, “Come. If you want, we can get started. You and me, we’ll spar while we figure it out, yeah?” He said. Lance brightened, “Oh. Yeah, of course. That would be great.” He said. Keith smiled at him, leading him down the halls, “Don’t stress out, all right? You’ve got this, I know you do.” He said. They entered the training deck. But when Lance pulled out his bayard, Keith stopped him. “Not actual sparring.” He said as he took off his jacket, throwing it to the side. He put his bayard and Galra blade down as well. “Well then, what do you mean?” Lance asked, confused, putting his bayard away. “We’ll switch it up today. Today we’ll do some hand to hand combat.” Keith said. Lance’s eyes widened, and he smirked. “Hand to hand combat, huh? That’s new.” He said. “No reason not to do it. So come on, then. Come at me, Sharpshooter.” Keith said, beckoning him. 

    Lance took off his jacket, getting into fighting stance. He then ran at him, but Keith easily side-stepped him. He turned to him, smiling as Lance turned to him. “I said come at me.” Keith said. Lance ran at him again, but Keith grabbed his arm and threw him down. Lance gasped, and Keith leaned over him, “You all right?” He asked playfully. Lance suddenly moved and swung his leg, and Keith reacted too late, falling to the floor. Lance stood up as Keith pushed himself up with a laugh. “Not bad, Blue. What have you got planned to say to the leaders?” He said as he got up. “Why don’t we talk about that after we’ve finished?” Lance said. “All right, then.” Keith said before leaping at him. He made sure that any hits he actually landed on Lance were soft and light. “You’re going easy, Samurai.” Lance said noticeably, dodging his hit. 

“Just trying not to hurt the love of my life.” Keith said, swinging his leg.

Lance grabbed his ankle in quick reflex and pushed him away, “That’s sweet and all, but this isn’t actually doing anything unless you come at me with all you got.” He said. “I’d rather not.” Keith said. “Oh come on! It’s okay, Keith, I can take your hits! You won’t hurt me, I promise.” Lance said in exasperation. “Are you sure?” Keith asked. “Yes, Keith, I’m absolutely sure.  _ I’m _ not holding back. Come on.” Lance said. He smirked, getting back into fighting stance. “Let’s have a little fun, Samurai. Whadd’ya say?” He said. His confidence made Keith’s heart skip a beat, and he smirked as well, also getting into a ready stance. “You asked for it.” He said, and ran at him. Lance deflected a good amount of his hits, and was even able to send Keith skidding away a few times. “All right, Keith! Time out, let me breathe!” Lance called out at one point, raising his hands up. They were both flushed, gasping. Keith reached up, twining their fingers together. “Giving up so soon, sweetheart?” He teased, leaning to him until they were a breath away. 

   Lance smiled widely and laughed, “Never!” He said defiantly, pushing Keith away. He ran at him and suddenly used a move that Keith had never seen or taught him before, using his momentum to bring Keith down, pinning him to the ground. Keith’s breath escaped him, and he stared up at Lance in awe, completely starstruck. “Ha! Gotcha! I got you, Samurai! Surprised ‘cause you usually take me down? Not this time! I win! Looks like I’m just as good as you at hand to hand combat!” Lance cried triumphantly. “How...did you...” Keith began, but trailed off. “How did I do that move? That’s a secret. Why, you wanna learn it?” Lance asked playfully, smirking. “That...was amazing, Lance.” Keith breathed. “Really? Aw, thanks, Samurai. I’ve been wanting to use that move on you.” Lance said as he darkly blushed. He then suddenly got off him, helping him sit up. 

Keith’s hair was as wild and messed up as Lance’s. 

Lance laughed, “Look at you, your hair’s everywhere.” He said, reaching out to smooth Keith’s hair down. “Lance, that was so amazing. I never even saw it coming.” Keith said proudly, grabbing onto him. “Thank you. I wanted to impress you, I was hoping you wouldn’t block it.” Lance said. “Oh, I’m more than impressed, Blue.” Keith said. He reached up and took his hand from his head, twining their fingers together. “I’m proud. I am so proud of you.” He said. Lance laughed nervously, turning even redder. Keith reached up and kissed his cheek, “I didn’t hurt you too much, did I?” He murmured, pulling away. “No, you didn’t. I told you that you wouldn’t. I didn’t hurt you too much either, did I?” Lance said. “No. You got in some pretty good hits, though.” Keith said. “You did too. We should fight hand to hand more often.” Lance said. “Guess we will, then.” Keith said. Lance let out a breath, coming to him and collapsing on his lap. Keith looked at him, “Something up?” He asked. “Nope. Just trying to get my breath back. I’m really winded.” Lance said. 

     “You said for me to give it my all. Are you okay?” Keith said, now concerned. “I’m fine. Relax.” Lance said, waving him off. Keith let out a breath, running his fingers through his messy locks. Lance looked at him and smiled, and Keith smiled back. “You did good.” He said. “Thanks, sweetheart. You did too.” Lance said. “Thank you. I had a good teacher.” Keith said. “You were the one teaching  _ me.”  _ Lance said, confused. “Yeah, but I learned just as much from you.” Keith said, leaning down and kissing his forehead. Lance let out a soft laugh, closing his eyes. “That’s sweet, Red.” He said. “Lance.” Keith said softly. “Hmm.” Lance hummed. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here. Get to work on your speech. Yeah?” Keith said. Lance nodded, “Yeah. All right.” He said. He got off Keith, and they both stood up, getting their stuff before walking out of the training deck. A few minutes later, they were in their room, sitting on their bed. 

“All right. Let’s get started. You talk, I write.” Keith said.

Lance got off the bed, facing him as he let out a long breath. “Ok...Welcome, Coalition leaders. As the co-leader of Voltron, it’s my duty to stand before you right now as part of the biggest symbol of hope.” He said. “That’s good. Good start. Keep going.” Keith said. Lance nodded, and began to slowly pace in front of him, “Uh...We stand in a place that was once on the verge of being ruled by the Galra, and Zarkon. Then it was Lotor, and then, for a bit, it was Sendak. But now that’s all over. We now stand in a place of long-deserved peace, and peace that will last for as long as we live. We will continue to be a symbol of peace for the planets that were too long under Galra control. We will help them remember freedom, to bring them back where they belong, as members of the Coalition.” He said. He then turned to Keith, “Does that sound right?” He asked. “Yeah. Keep going.” Keith said. 

     “Let’s see...I know some of you are wondering what happens next now that we’ve taken down the biggest threats that plagued our universe, and the safety of our future. What happens next is that we spend the rest of our days knowing that we are no longer under any threat from any evil.” Lance continued. He let out a breath, running his fingers through his hair. “Want me to read it over?” Keith asked. Lance nodded, and Keith stood up. “Welcome, Coalition leaders. As the co-leader of Voltron, it’s my duty to stand before you right now as part of the biggest symbol of hope. We stand in a place that was once on the verge of being ruled by the Galra, and Zarkon. Then it was Lotor, and then, for a bit, it was Sendak. But now that’s all over. We now stand in a place of long-deserved peace, and peace that will last for as long as we live. We will continue to be a symbol of peace for the planets that were too long under Galra control. We will help them remember freedom, to bring them back where they belong, as members of the Coalition. I know some of you are wondering what happens next now that we’ve taken down the biggest threats that plagued our universe, and the safety of our future. What happens next is that we spend the rest of our days knowing that we are no longer under any threat from any evil.“ Keith read. Lance shook his head, ”Tear it up.” He said. 

“What? Why?” Keith asked, surprised. 

“It’s not good enough.” Lance said. “Lance, don’t be ridiculous, of course it is.” Keith said. “No, it needs to be perfect. Like how Shiro used to do it.” Lance said. Keith reached out and touched his arm, “But you’re not Shiro, babe. You’re you, and you do things in your own amazing way. You don’t have to do it like anyone else.” He soothed. “I know, but it just doesn’t sound right. I’ll keep in some things, but I just want to start over.” Lance said. “What exactly is wrong with it? The wording?” Keith asked. “The wording. It’s the wording. It doesn’t fit.” Lance said, nodding. “All right. If that’s what you want, we’ll go over it again. Don’t stress, all right? All you’re doing is thanking them for all their hard work, that’s it. Don’t stress about this, you’re doing fine.” Keith said. Lance nodded, “I know. I know.” He said. They continued on until it nearly became midnight, and Lance’s stress for the meeting continued to rise. Keith became worried, as whenever he tried to get Lance to go to sleep, he’d refuse. He settled to sit on the bed, rubbing his face. “Lance, it’s getting late. You shouldn’t stay up for long, you need to rest.” Keith said.

  Lance shook his head, “But the speech-“ He began, but Keith took the paper, “Will be done tomorrow. All right?” He said. Lance hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. “C’mere. You need to unwind.” Keith said, reaching for him, pulling him to him. He gently rubbed Lance’s back, frowning at how tense he was. “You’re stressing out too much. It’s not good for you.” He murmured. Lance let out a soft sigh, “I just want to do it right.” He said quietly. “I know you do. But you’re going to overwhelm yourself. You’ll make yourself sick. I don’t want that to happen.” Keith said gently. Lance winced when Keith rubbed his shoulder, and Keith scowled in sympathy. “Look at you, you’re all worked up. Relax, Blue. It’s okay, I got you. I got you.” He said softly. As he continued to work over him, Lance slowly relaxed, calmed by Keith’s gentle and familiar touch. As Keith leaned against the bedrest, he could hear Lance’s breaths easing. “There we go. Sleep.” He whispered. “I can’t...” Lance mumbled.

“Shh...sleep.” Keith shushed him gently, going back to running his fingers through his curly locks. 

And luckily, Lance did. Unfortunately, a bit after Keith follows, Lance lifted his head, having not actually fallen asleep. He slowly, carefully, and reluctantly pulled away from Keith, climbing off their bed. He leaned down and gently kissed Keith’s forehead before walking out of the room. A short while later, Keith woke up with a sharp breath, having sensed that Lance was gone. “Lance?” He called out quietly. No answer. He got up, walking out of the room. He had had a feeling that Lance would do something like this. “Lance?” He called again as he walked through the halls, rubbing his eyes. He didn’t find him in the lounge, in the observation deck, or in the training deck. He finally made his way to the dining room, and softly sighed when he found Lance there at the table, his head in his arms. He came to him, carefully and gently pulling him to him. Lance made a noise, and Keith gently shushed him as he picked him up. “Easy, Blue. I got you.” He whispered. 

    Lance buried his head into his neck, his breaths easing again as Keith carried him out of the dining room and through the halls. “I knew you were going to do something like this. You’re going to drive yourself sick.” Keith murmured softly. He gently set Lance down on the bed, and climbed in beside him. Lance instantly curled into him, snuggling against him as his arm slowly came over his waist. Keith wrapped his arms around him, softly sighing. Later in the morning, the two were awake, continuing to go over Lance’s speech. At least until a sneeze caught Keith’s attention. He instantly looked at Lance, and came to him, “Come here.” He said. “Keith, I’m fine. It was just a sneeze.” Lance said. Keith reached up anyways, touching his forehead. “You’re not burning up or anything...” Keith murmured. “My allergies. They’re acting up.” Lance said. 

“You don’t have any allergies.” Keith said. 

“Uh, certain kinds of flowers?” Lance said. “We’re in the Castle, Lance.” Keith said. Lance sneezed again, “It’s nothing. Come on, let’s keep going with this.” He said, sniffing. “Lance, don’t be ridiculous. Maybe you shouldn’t be doing this.” Keith said, worried. “I accepted it, Keith, I have to.” Lance said. “You stayed up late last night, stressing out. You look tired, Blue, you need to sleep more.” Keith said as he took his hand, leading him to the bed. Lance sighed, sniffing, “Keith, I can’t. This is my responsibility. I’m just sneezing, that’s it. I...” He trailed off and sneezed twice. Keith rubbed his arm soothingly, “My poor mate. I told you you’d make yourself sick. Just sleep for a little, please. I’m worried about you.” He said sympathetically, reaching up and running his fingers through his curly locks. Lance sighed and suddenly fell into him, sniffing. “I give up. I’m tired.” He mumbled. “I know. It’s okay. Go to sleep.” Keith soothed. Unfortunately, overwhelmed from sneezing and sniffling, Lance was unable to sleep.

   Keith tried to ease him, gently rubbing his back. Lance sneezed again, tensing against him. “Bless you.” Keith said. Lance groaned, suddenly getting off him, harshly rubbing his nose. Keith sat up, seeing how groggy and exhausted he looked. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t sleep, I can’t.” He said, his voice thick from how sick he was. Keith made a sympathetic noise, reaching out and touching his cheek, brushing it gently. “Oh, Blue...I wish I knew what to do to make you feel better.” He said. Lance gave a tired smile, “You being here does the trick.” He said. Keith smiled back, leaning to him and kissing his cheek. “C’mon, Blue. Try again?” He said softly, pulling back. “It’s not going to work.” Lance groaned. “Yes it will. Now come on. C’mere.” Keith said, gently pulling him to him, making him lay against him as he leaned back against the bedrest. Lance wrapped his arms around him, burying his head in his chest as Keith gently ran his fingers through his hair. 

Lance sniffed a few times, his breathing heavy. 

Keith softly hummed to soothe him. It took a bit, but sure enough, Lance began to fall asleep, his breaths easing. “There we go. Sleep.” Keith whispered. Once Lance fell into a deep sleep, Keith went back to work on his speech as he continued to run his fingers through Lance’s hair. He craned his neck and gently kissed Lance’s head, a soft purr of affection rising from inside him. Lance slightly shifted his head before settling again. It was around half an hour later before Keith’s eyes began to droop, exhaustion beginning to creep in. He rubbed his eyes, softly sighing as he put down the paper, slightly stretching his arms before wrapping them around Lance again. He instantly fell asleep, lulled by Lance’s soft breaths. 

   It was around late afternoon in the same day that Keith woke up first. He slightly lifted his head, seeing that Lance was still asleep. He softly smiled and craned his neck to lightly kiss his head, a purr rising inside him again. He let him continue to sleep, reaching out to gently play with his hair as he watched him. Lance slightly stirred, but nonetheless did not move too much. Keith went back to running his fingers through his hair, powerful waves of love for his mate consuming him. Lance suddenly let out a sharp breath, unconsciously rubbing his nose as he stirred again, shifting against Keith as he made a noise.  _ His nose was bothering him.  _ Keith got slightly concerned, realizing that it was jarring Lance awake. He heard a low whine come out of him, and instantly reached out, trying to soothe him and calm him down. 

“Shh…” He whispered softly, running his fingers through his hair. 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much, as he could sense that Lance was now awake. A low, sympathetic sound came out of Keith as he saw him rub his eyes, which were bleary, unfocused, and exhausted. Keith’s worry worsened. His poor mate...he looked so terrible. Lance buried his head into his chest, “God, my nose…” He groaned softly. “Oh, Lance…” Keith trailed off, craning his neck to gently kiss his head. “There’s no way you can do the speech. I shouldn’t have let you, look what its done to you.” He said in worry. Lance groaned again, and Keith craned his head, “Hey...look at me? Lemme see you.” He said. Lance whined again, “ _ Keith, I’m tired.”  _ His pleading made Keith let out another sympathetic noise. “I know, I know. Just for a little, okay, I promise. C’mon.” He said gently. After a second, Lance lifted his head, resting his chin on Keith’s chest. 

    “Aw, Lance...My poor mate…” Keith’s voice was soft and sympathetic as he reached out and gently brushed his cheek with his thumb. “How terrible do I look?” Lance mumbled. “You look absolutely horrible.” Keith said, trying to joke. Luckily, it brought a small laugh out of Lance. “Rude. You’re supposed to say that I look fine, and not as sick as I sound.” He mumbled before yawning. “I’m sorry. You look absolutely  _ fine _ , sweetheart. I didn’t even think you were sick ‘cause you looked so normal.” Keith said playfully. Lance ducked his head as he laughed even harder, sounding a bit better. “I wouldn’t even have believed that.” He mumbled. Keith chuckled, kissing the top of his head, “I’m just trying to make you feel better. I’m glad I could make you laugh.” He said softly. “I’m better with you.” Lance whispered. Keith smiled softly, “Blue, I need you to get up, okay? I need to get you some medicine so you can get better. Okay?” He said.

Lance whined in protest, “No, don’t leave me. I won’t let you go.” He said.

“C’mon, Lance, I don’t want to see you like this. I won’t take long.” Keith coaxed him gently. Lance whined again before slowly pushing off him, letting Keith sit up. Keith leaned to him and kissed his cheek, “Lie back down, I won’t be long.” He said before standing up, walking out of the room. “Hey Keith.” At the sound of Pidge’s voice, he turned to see her walking to him, fixing her glasses. “What’s going on? Where’s Lance?” She said. “He stressed himself out over his speech, and now he’s sick. He’s been sneezing like crazy, and he just sounds so terrible. I was going to go get him something to help him feel better.” Keith said. “Aw, poor thing. I think I know what you can give him. Come.” Pidge said sympathetically before walking past him. He followed her to the infirmary, where she opened a closet that was propped up on the side wall. “How bad is it? Stuffy nose, all that?” She asked. “Yeah. It was bothering him, it made him wake up.” Keith said.

    “He must be so exhausted.” Pidge said sympathetically. Keith crossed his arms, worried. “He is.” He agreed quietly. Pidge inwardly winced.  _ Shouldn’t have said that.  _ She suddenly turned to him and held out a black bottle. “Give him some of this. It’s specifically for Lance’s kind of sickness. It’ll take a few minutes for it to have an effect, and it lasts for a good few hours.” She said. Keith took it, inspecting it. “And it’ll help him feel better?” He asked. “You’ll have to keep giving it to him every few hours, but yeah. I think he’ll be able to do the speech if he takes it.” Pidge said. Keith shook his head, “He’s not doing it. I can’t let him, not while he’s like that. I need him to be completely okay.” He said. Pidge nodded in understanding, and Keith began to walk away. “Thanks, Pidge.” He said. But before he could walk out of the infirmary, Pidge suddenly gasped. “Oh, wait!” She said. He looked at her as she face-palmed herself, “Quiznack, I almost forgot to tell you.” She said. 

“Don’t give him too much of that. Nothing bad will happen, but he’ll be completely delirious if you do.” She then said. 

“Oh. Thanks for the warning. See you later, Pidge.” Keith said before walking out. When he went back into his and Lance’s room, he made a low noise of pure sympathy when he saw that Lance was lightly dozing, curled up into a ball.  _ He looked so small.  _ Keith came to him and gently kissed his head, “Lance. Hey.” He whispered, pulling back. Lance stirred, a soft hum of questioning coming out of him. “C’mon, wake up. I got something for you, it’ll make you feel better. C’mon.” Keith coaxed softly. Lance opened his eyes, which were still unclear and unfocused. “What?” He mumbled as he uncurled. “C’mere.” Keith said softly, helping him sit up and making him lay back against the bedrest. Lance rubbed his eyes, confused and outright exhausted. “What is it?” He mumbled, rubbing his red nose. Keith untwisted the cap, pouring the liquid in the bottle into it. “Open up.” He said.

   Lance saw the bottle, and his face instantly twisted, “Oh, I  _ hate liquid medicine, it tastes disgusting. Please don’t make me swallow that.”  _ He pleaded tiredly, still getting his bearings. “C’mon, Lance, you need to. It’ll make you feel better, I promise. Come on, Blue.” Keith coaxed him gently, touching his cheek. “Please, Keith, please…” Lance pleaded again, and the look on his face was one that made Keith ache for him in overwhelming sympathy and worry. “For me? Please, sweetheart.” His voice went even softer, trying to coax him. Lance lowly whined before rubbing his face. “...Fine.” He finally gave in. Keith gave him the medicine, and Lance coughed, his face twisting. “God, that tastes disgusting.” He said. 

Keith twisted the cap back on the bottle before setting it aside, “That’s good, that’s good.” He said, rubbing his arm soothingly. 

“How funny is this? I was supposed to do the speech for tomorrow. God, I’m such an idiot.” Lance said. “Hey, hey, don’t say that. It’s okay, things happen that we can’t control. It’s not your fault. It’s mine.” Keith said gently. “Why’s it your fault?” Lance asked, rubbing his nose. “I told you to accept Kolivan’s offer. I made you drive yourself sick out of stress. I’m sorry, Blue. I didn’t mean to do this to you.” Keith said quietly. “You didn’t do anything to me, I wanted to accept it after I realized that you were right. It would have been cool to go up and do that speech. You just said that things happen out of our control. That’s exactly what happened. Don’t feel guilty for something you didn’t do. Plus, I don’t really feel so sick right now.” Lance said, reaching out and touching his cheek. His hand felt cold, which slightly concerned Keith. He took his hand, as well as his other one. 

    “Your hands are cold.” He murmured. “Are they? I can’t tell.” Lance said. It made Keith slightly smile. “Hey.” Lance said softly. He began to pull him to him, but Keith sputtered, pulling away, “You can’t kiss me, you’ll get me sick.” He said. Lance pouted, “So you can kiss me, but I can’t kiss you? How on Earth does that work?” He asked. “Because you’re not the one that’s doing it. You’re sick. Now, you should be getting back to sleep so that the medicine can work through you.” Keith said. Lance sighed, “That’s ridiculous.” He muttered, making Keith laugh. He watched him rub his eyes, definitely looking like he was about to fall asleep. “You should be fine by tomorrow, but let’s not push it. You’re staying in bed until I see that you’re at full health.” He said. “Full health? What is this, a game?” Lance asked. Keith laughed, “You know what I mean.” He said amusingly. He then touched his cheek and reached up, but Lance quickly moved his head and kissed his cheek, and Keith pulled back as he gasped in shock. “Lance! I told you you’re not supposed to do that!” He said as he touched his own cheek. 

Lance laughed, and Keith let out a sharp breath. “I saw you were going to do that.” He said. 

“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.” Lance said. Keith darkly blushed, “You’re lucky you got away with that.” He muttered. Lance giggled, “You’re lucky you pulled away so quickly.” He teased. “Are you  _ trying  _ to get me sick?” Keith asked. “Lovesick for me, maybe.” Lance said. Keith turned crimson, and he nervously scoffed, “As if I’m not entirely. Just go to sleep already.” He said. Lance pouted, “All right, all right, fine. Why won’t you let me show my affection for you?” He asked dramatically, turning away from him as he settled down. “Lance, don’t be like that.” Keith said. Lance huffed, curling up into a ball. 

   Keith rolled his eyes, “You’re such a baby.” He said quietly, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, I love you too.” Lance said. Keith watched him for a few seconds before he softened, a fond smile coming onto his face. He reached out and began to run his fingers through his curly locks, a small huff of amused laughter coming out of him. He leaned to him and kissed his temple. “I love you, you goof.” He whispered affectionately. Lance shifted, turning back to him. “I love you too.” He mumbled sleepily, a tired smile on his face.


	37. Chapter 37

__ Lance was back to normal the day after the diplomatic meeting. Pidge had contacted them in the morning, rambling excitedly about new Garrison uniforms that were made for the team, and that they had to come try it on. “You think Pidge is exaggerating, or are they actually going to look good?” Lance whispered in his ear. Keith chucked, “I’m sure it’ll be fine. As long as they’re not still that boring, dull orange colour.” He said. Lance laughed as they both entered the Garrison. “I’ll see you in a bit.” Keith said, quickly kissing his cheek before walking away from him. Once he put on his uniform, which was coloured his signature red instead of the orange that he always disliked, he walked out, going to where Lance had gone off. 

   And when he saw him looking himself over, in the same uniform but except it was light blue, his eyes widened as his jaw dropped open. “Whoa.” He said. Lance instantly turned to him, his own eyes widening. “You look so handsome. The blue brings out your eyes.” Keith said. Lance darkly blushed as he nervously smiled, “T-thank you. You look very handsome too. Red’s definitely your colour.” He said. Keith turned just as dark red, smiling shyly, “T-thank you.” He said nervously. He then held out his hand, “Come on. We don’t want the others waiting for us for too long.” He said. Lance came to him and took his hand, their fingers entwining as they walked down the halls. “And here they are. The co-leaders of Voltron, Keith and Lance McKogane.” Shiro’s voice caught their attention, and they looked to see him walking toward them, in a white and grey Garrison uniform. 

“White and grey, huh? Thought they’d give you black.” Lance said. 

“I’m not the leader of Voltron anymore. I’m Captain of the Atlas, remember?” Shiro said. “Come to think of it, why didn’t they give  _ you  _ black? And me red?” Lance asked, turning to Keith. Keith shrugged, “Guess they know what our former roles used to be.” He said. “Let’s get going. It’s just a small ceremony, and then you’re free to go.” Shiro said. While at the ceremony, Keith and Lance were sort of in their own little space, quietly reminiscing about their days as cadets. “You wanna know something? You remember that simulation Shiro made us run when we first came into the Garrison, where we had to pilot through the…” Lance began to ask, and then they both spoke at the same time, “Asteroids.” Lance smiled at him, and Keith nodded, “Yeah, I remember that. What about it?” He said. 

   “I remember watching you on your turn. Seeing you pass Level 5. No one could even get past Level 3. I remember being in such awe of you.” Lance said. Keith smiled, “Did you think I was cool?” He asked playfully. Lance blushed as he laughed, “Yeah, I did. And then I made you my fake rival because I didn’t know what I was feeling toward you.” He said. Keith laughed, and Lance suddenly reached out and twined their fingers together, “Hey...you wanna get outta here? Go for a walk?” He asked quietly. “As nice as that sounds, this is important, Lance. It’s a ceremony for us, and we’re Voltron’s co-leaders. It would be a bit disrespectful for us to leave when we’re meant to be here.” Keith said. 

Lance pouted and whined, “Aw, come on. 15 more minutes and then we leave? Please?” He said.

“We can’t.” Keith said. “20?” Lance asked. “It’s just for an hour, Lance. That’s it. I promise when we’re done, we can walk around all day. Okay?” Keith said amusingly. Lance let out a long sigh, “Fine. Fine.” He said as he pulled his hands away, beginning to fiddle with the Voltron insignia on Keith’s uniform. “You’re no fun.” He said quietly. Keith snuck a look around before craning his head and quickly kissing Lance’s cheek, “Stop pouting like that, you’ll make me give in.” He said amusingly. “What do you think I’m trying to do?” Lance asked. Keith laughed softly. Once the ceremony was finished, Lance quickly pulled him away, leading him down the halls. “Hold on!” A voice shouted. They both stopped and turned, only to both get surprised when they saw that the MFE pilots were coming toward them.

   Seeing James, Keith frowned, crossing his arms. “Cadets.” He said. “Black and Red Paladins. We’ve been wanting to officially meet you guys ever since you came to Earth, but we were stuck in training most of the time.” One of the MFE pilots, a dark-skinned girl with glasses, spoke up. “Is that so?” Lance asked, pulling his hand from Keith’s and resting his elbow onto Keith’s shoulder, leaning to him. The pilot nodded, “Yes! Leif and I are like, your biggest fans! I’m Rizavi, it’s so nice to finally meet you both!” She said. Of course, Lance would get overconfident from the attention. He pulled his hair back, smirking. “How nice of you to come up to us. Listen, we’d love to stay and chat, but we’re actually leaving right now. Keep up with the good work, though!” He said before taking Keith’s hand and pulling him with him. 

Keith silently sighed, and Lance let go of his hand once again, instead wrapping it around his shoulders, pulling him closer to him. 

“Wow. Talk about that building tension, huh? Good thing we got away from that.” Lance said. He then looked at Keith, “You looked like you wanted to slice Griffin alive. What’s wrong? What’d he do to you?” He said. Keith shook his head, “When we were younger, he insulted my parents.” He said. “You punched him. I remember that.” Lance said in realization. He then frowned, “I don’t like him.” He said. “Forget about him.” Keith said. “I can’t exactly do that if he makes my mate angry. But you’re not wrong. Let’s just get out of here.” Lance said. As they walked away from the Garrison, Keith could sense that Lance wanted to ask him something. “What is it?” He asked. “Your...your father. Do you...would you...show me…” Lance began, but faltered. They stopped walking and Keith turned to him, seeing the hesitance on his face.

   And he knew what he was asking for. He nodded, “Yeah. Come.” He said. He took his hand and led him to the cemetery, where his father’s grave stood. They stood there in quiet silence before Lance spoke up. “I’m so sorry.” He said softly. Keith looked at him and shook his head, “Don’t be. It was a long time ago.” He said. “He was a hero. A firefighter. He died saving people, and if that’s not honorary, I don’t know what is.” He then said. “...Would he have liked me?” Lance asked quietly. Keith slightly smiled, “Who wouldn’t?” He asked, a light tone to his voice. Lance gave a small smile back, reaching out and gently brushing his cheek with his thumb. Keith pressed into his familiar and comforting touch, wanting more. “Thank you for showing me. I wasn’t sure if you’d feel comfortable to.” Lance said softly. 

“I would have at one point. Don’t think I wouldn’t have been comfortable, that’s why I agreed in the first place. We don’t keep things from each other, remember?” Keith said. 

Lance pulled him closer and leaned in, gently kissing his forehead. “Thank you.” Keith whispered, breathing in his familiar scent and feeling calmed by his soft breaths. “Keith.” A familiar voice they thought they’d never hear caught their attention, and they pulled away from each other, whirling around to face the one Galra that they both never wanted to see. “Acxa.” Keith said lowly. Lance growled darkly and moved forward, but Keith stopped him, stepping toward Acxa and pulling out his bayard. “What are you doing here?” He asked, pointing his sword at her. “Put that away, please. I’m not here to cause trouble. I just want to talk to you.” Acxa said, putting her hands up. 

   “You think I’m going to believe anything you say? Get out of Earth, or else I’ll drive you out myself.” Keith hissed. Acxa suddenly pulled out her gun, and Keith heard Lance sharply inhale, instantly readying his own bayard. “I’m just putting it down. I’m just putting it down, that’s it.” Acxa said. She then put it down, and kicked it over to Keith. Keith kicked it aside, stepping closer to her. “What do you want?” He asked. “There’s something that I need to tell you. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew that I was right, and now I know that I am.” Acxa said. Keith stared at her, now confused. “What are you talking about?” He asked lowly. “When you were with your mother, I saw you and her standing here, grieving your father.” Acxa said. 

Keith darkly growled, “You followed us?” He asked in a hiss. 

“Yes, because I needed to be sure. I needed to be completely sure of what I saw.” Acxa said. Keith growled at her, baring his fangs as his grip on his sword tightened. “Keith. Give me the word, and I’ll shoot her.” Lance said. “Don’t. Please. If I wanted to do something, I would have by now. Please just put down your weapons. Let me explain.” Acxa said. Keith stared at her before slightly signaling to Lance. He slowly lowered his blaster, “Don’t try anything funny. I don’t miss.” He said to Acxa. “One minute. That’s all you get.” Keith said. “That’s not enough.” Acxa said. “One minute or nothing. Choose quickly.” Keith said. “Krolia is my mother as well.” Acxa said. Keith froze. 

   “That’s not possible.” He then said. “It is. She took me to space with her when I was a baby. We got separated, and I landed in the hands of the Galra.” Acxa said. “Why should I believe anything you say?” Keith hissed. Acxa stepped closer, and Lance growled threateningly, powering up his blaster. “Your Marmora blade. Let me show you. Please. I will prove it to you that we are half-kin.” Acxa said, holding out her hand. “I talked to her. She recognized me. Tell him.” She then said. And then Keith heard his mother behind him. “She’s telling the truth, Keith.” He turned to her, furious and not understanding anything. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He asked.

“I didn’t know until she came to me. Keith, please try to understand. I wasn’t keeping anything from you. I didn’t know myself until I heard her name.” His mother said. “You’re telling me to understand, but I don’t! None of this makes sense!” Keith said. He then whirled to Acxa, “You and your teammates put my team in danger. You attacked us. You were Lotor’s most loyal general. You’re trying to trick me, and it’s not working. Give it up, and get out of here.” He hissed. But then Acxa quickly moved forward and took his Galra blade. Keith snarled at her, ready to attack her, but then she activated the blade. Keith stopped, his eyes widening. Lance softly gasped beside him. “See? Proof.” Acxa said. “That’s...not...possible…” Keith said faintly.

    “Keith, please.” His mother put her hand on his shoulder, and he wrenched away, “You’ve known for a while, then. And you didn’t tell me. You kept this from me! This whole other family member that I didn’t even know about! Why would you keep this from me?” He shouted. “I-I’m sorry, Keith. I-I’m so sorry.” His mother stuttered. Keith’s mouth twisted into a snarl, “This isn’t any different than when you left me.” He said lowly. Hurt flashed across his mother’s face. Keith took his blade from Acxa, “Leave. The both of you.” He growled before turning around and walking off. Fury and confusion clashed together, overwhelming him to the point where his head was spinning. “Keith. Red.” Lance’s voice broke through, and suddenly he was being stopped by him, his hands strong and firm on his arms. “Hey, hey, hey, slow down. Slow down. Listen to me. Breathe. Red, breathe. Focus. Focus on me.” His voice was calm, but urgent. 

Keith wasn’t aware that his breaths had grown uneasy and shallow. 

He was seeing black spots. He grabbed onto Lance, trying to breathe. “Steady. Steady, Red. Slow. Calm down. It’s okay. It’s okay. You’re fine. Just listen to me. Focus on me.” Lance said. Keith could vaguely hear Lance’s breathing, and tried to follow, even though he was failing. He let out a soft, distressed whine, and Lance tried harder, touching his cheeks. “Red. Samurai. Breathe.  _ Breathe. Three times, okay? Focus. Breathe with me. One.”  _ Lance coaxed him, growing frantic in response to his mate’s distress. They then breathed together. Twice. Three times. Keith’s angry, blood-red face slowly faded back to pale as he let out a long, shaky breath. His head stopped spinning. “You’re okay. You’re okay.” Lance said softly. Keith breathed in his scent, his familiar smell making him calm down.

  He was then aware of Lance gently pulling him, and vaguely let him lead. Lance pulled him into the Castle, making him sit down on their bed. “How do you feel?” Lance asked softly. Keith shook his head, feeling numb. He felt so many emotions, and also none at all. He wanted to cry. “I...don’t know how to feel..” He said slowly, his tongue and chest feeling heavy. Lance rubbed his arm soothingly, “It’s okay. You have every reason to be upset. You have every reason to feel frustrated and like you don’t understand.” He said softly. Keith rubbed his forehead, at a complete loss. “What do I...What do I do? What am I supposed to do? I don’t know-I don’t...I...don’t…” Keith trailed off as his breath hitched, quickening. 

And then he was crying. 

Lance made a soft, heartbroken noise, pulling him to him and gently embracing him. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” He whispered, running his fingers through his hair. Keith clutched onto him as he cried, his chest tight from the building pressure inside him. Lance murmured softly to him, his voice gentler than he’d ever heard it. After a bit, Keith finally stopped crying, his cheeks flushed and his breaths slowing. “There we go. Easy. Steady, Red.” Lance murmured. He slightly pulled back and wiped his tears away. Keith pressed into his touch, wanting more of his comfort. “Do you feel better?” Lance asked softly. “That helped a bit. And so did you.” Keith whispered, nodding. “What are you going to do?” Lance asked.

   Keith sniffed and shook his head, “I don’t want to think about it right now.” He mumbled quietly. “What do you want  _ me  _ to do? Tell me.” Lance whispered. Keith softened, “You’ve already done enough, Blue. All I ask is...for you to stay with me.” He whispered. Lance smiled, “Why would I go anywhere else?” He asked playfully. “You know what I mean.” Keith said with slight amusement. Lance suddenly shifted back, resting his back against the bedrest. He took Keith’s hand, “C’mere.” He whispered. Keith shifted closer to him and laid his head on his chest, wrapping his arms around him. Lance slowly, gently ran his fingers through his hair, wrapping his other arm around him. 

And then he began to softly sing. 

“ _ Do you hear me, _ __   
_ I'm talking to you _ __   
_ Across the water across the deep blue ocean _ _   
_ __ Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying.” 

Keith slightly inclined his head to listen better, peeking at him from under his bangs. Lance smiled sweetly at him and pulled his bangs back, and Keith relaxed under his touch, lulled by his soft voice. 

_ “Boy I hear you in my dreams _ __   
_ I feel your whisper across the sea _ __   
_ I keep you with me in my heart _ _   
_ __ You make it easier when life gets hard

_ I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend _ __   
_ Lucky to have been where I have been _ _   
_ __ Lucky to be coming home again

_ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh _

_ They don't know how long it takes _ __   
_ Waiting for a love like this _ __   
_ Every time we say goodbye _ __   
_ I wish we had one more kiss _ _   
_ __ I'll wait for you I promise you, I will.” 

With every lyric, Keith’s smile grew, and a soft purr of gratitude and affection rumbled inside him. Lance leaned down and gently kissed his forehead.

“ _ I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend _ __   
_ Lucky to have been where I have been _ __   
_ Lucky to be coming home again _ __   
_ Lucky we're in love in every way _ __   
_ Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed _ _   
_ __ Lucky to be coming home someday

_ And so I'm sailing through the sea _ __   
_ To an island where we'll meet _ __   
_ You'll hear the music fill the air _ __   
_ I'll put a flower in your hair _ __   
_ Though the breezes through the trees _ __   
_ Move so pretty you're all I see _ __   
_ As the world keeps spinning round _ _   
_ __ You hold me right here right now .” 

Keith began to fall asleep. And as he did, he reached out to touch Lance’s cheek. Lance’s smile grew, and he kissed his hand before whispering something in Spanish. “What’d you say?” Keith asked softly as he dropped his hand, his eyelids growing heavy. “I said…” Lance’s voice dropped even lower, “Sleep, my love.” He kissed his forehead again. And as he continued to sing, Keith closed his eyes, his breaths easing, calmed by Lance’s touch and singing.

__ “ _ I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend _ __   
_ Lucky to have been where I have been _ __   
_ Lucky to be coming home again _ __   
_ I'm lucky we're in love in every way _ _   
_ _ Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed _ _   
_ __ Lucky to be coming home someday…”  Keith then heard Lance softly hum as he slowly fell into darkness. “Sweet dreams, Red. I love you.” He whispered softly. “I love you too.” Keith mumbled before he slipped away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance would so sing “Lucky”. Go listen to Jeremy’s version and think of it as this chapter!


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Training time. Lance loves to show off.

Lance rubbed his eyes, slowly waking up. As his vision came into focus, he slightly lifted his head, only to smile and soften. Keith was still asleep on top of him, his hair a wild mess. He reached out and gently ran his fingers through his raven hair, fixing it. Keith slightly shifted his head, unconsciously pressing into his touch for more. “Keith. Keith.” Lance whispered. Keith shifted again, burrowing his head into his chest. “Hey. Wake up, Red.” Lance gently nudged him, though he would’ve been content with watching Keith sleep against him all day. Keith hummed softly, questioningly. “C’mon, Red. Babe. Wake up.” Lance whispered. Keith let out a soft whine, “5 more minutes, Lance…” He mumbled, and Lance had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing.  _ God, he was so adorable.  _

   A sympathetic and affectionate noise came out of him as he craned his neck, kissing Keith’s head. “C’mon, wake up, sweetheart.” He said. Keith softly huffed, and Lance saw him rubbing his eyes, shifting his head. Lance smiled as he rested his chin on his chest, those dazzling purple eyes locking onto his. “Heya sweetheart.” Lance said softly, pushing his bangs back so that he could see better. “Hey.” Keith mumbled. He then yawned, pressing against Lance’s hand for more. A soft purr rumbled inside him. Lance craned his head, gently kissing his forehead. Keith’s purring grew louder, and Lance could feel his fingers slowly brush over his cheek, running through his hair. 

“Tired?” Lance whispered teasingly, pulling back. 

“Mmm. It’s a bit early, isn’t it?” Keith mumbled. Lance chuckled, planting a few kisses on his cheek. “I’m sorry, babe.” He teased. Keith insistently nuzzled him, his purring growing even louder. “Someone wants attention, huh?” Lance said softly as he nuzzled him back. “You’re so quiznacking adorable.” He whispered affectionately. After a few seconds, Lance pulled away, and Keith softly whined in protest, “ _ Babe…”  _ He pouted. “Don’t do that, you’ll make me fall in love with you even more. C’mon, sweetheart. We gotta get up.” Lance said amusingly. “We literally don’t have anything to do today, can’t we sleep a little more?” Keith groaned, his head dropping back onto Lance’s chest. Lance laughed, “Oh my god, you’re  _ so _ adorable. I can’t believe I’m married to a hothead who’s actually such a cutie when he’s all tired and grumpy.” He said. 

   Keith glared at him, red colouring his cheeks. “You’re making fun of me.” He said, pouting. “I’m not, I swear!” Lance gasped. Keith’s glare sharpened, and he suddenly pushed himself off Lance and poked his side. Lance instantly recoiled with a startled shriek, “Hey, don’t! You know I’m ticklish-!” He said, but then Keith poked him again, and Lance squirmed. “Hey, stop that! S-stop! Keith! Keith, I swear to god- _ Keith!”  _ Lance said as Keith pinned him down, a smile on his face. “You asked for it.” He said. And then he was tickling him. Lance let out a loud shriek, instantly collapsing into uncontrollable fits of laughter and giggles as he recoiled in reflex, trying to slap Keith’s hands away. “You’re not being fair!! You know where I’m ticklish!!” Lance wailed. 

Keith laughed, “You asked for it!” He said. 

Lance begged and pleaded for him to stop, but he was still uncontrollably giggling, his cheeks flushed dark pink and his face scrunched up. “Red! Red, c-ahahaha- _ babe! Cariño, c-come on, let me breathe for a second!”  _ He cried. At the new nickname, Keith pulled back, looking down at him curiously. Lance let out a wheeze, breathless as he slowly uncurled, his face a dark red. “Jesus Christ, Red…” He breathed, his laughter slowly faltering as he took in heavy gulps of air. “Give up?” Keith asked. “Yes, yes, I am at your mercy. I’ll do whatever you want.” Lance gasped. Keith watched him slowly get his breath back, the wide smile still on his face as he rubbed his forehead. “Quiznack…” He said. Keith reached out to brush his messy bangs away from his forehead, and Lance went limp and pressed against his touch, letting out a sharp breath. “You all right?” Keith asked, suddenly a little concerned. 

  “Yeah. Fine. I don’t know if you can feel or hear it, but my heart’s racing. You’ve got such a strong grip,  _ cariño.”  _ Lance said. Keith suddenly shifted away, taking Lance’s hand and pulling him up. “What is that?” He asked. “Huh?” Lance asked. “What you just said.” Keith said. “What,  _ cariño?”  _ Lance asked. Keith stayed silent, wondering what it meant. “I’ve never heard that before. What does that mean?” He said. Lance widely smiled, “Sweetheart.” He said. “What?” Keith said. Lance laughed, “Not you, you dork. That’s what  _ cariño  _ means.” He said. Keith’s eyes widened, “Oh.” He said dumbly. Lance laughed again, and Keith blushed in embarrassment. “Well, how was I supposed to know that? You’ve taught me a lot, but not many terms of endearment. Especially not  _ that _ one.” Keith mumbled, looking away from him. 

He sensed Lance soften, and then lean in, making him slightly twitch when he planted an affectionate kiss on his scar. 

“God, you’re so adorable, babe.” Lance teased. “ _ You’re  _ adorable. You were literally snorting five seconds ago.” Keith said. “I was not.” Lance said, pulling away. “Was too.” Keith said. “Was not.” Lance said, pouting. “Don’t worry. It’ll stay between us, sweetheart. But it was extremely adorable.” Keith teased. Lance turned dark red, and he pouted even more. “ _ Keeeithh!”  _ He whined, embarrassed. Keith laughed, “What? Am I flustering you, my love?” He teased playfully. “You’re being rude, that’s  _ my  _ nickname.” Lance muttered, making Keith laugh even harder. “C’mere.” He said, pulling him in and affectionately kissing him. “You’re lucky I love you so much.” Lance mumbled. Keith chuckled, “Guess I am, then.” He whispered, and kissed him again, running his fingers through his hair. 

  Lance finally let out a soft laugh, returning the kiss. They then pulled away, resting their foreheads together. “You’re more luckier than I am, ‘cause I love you even more.” Keith whispered affectionately. “Mmm no. Not possible.” Lance whispered back. “Yes, it is.” Keith said. “Nope. No way.” Lance said. “Yes, it is, Lance.” Keith said. Lance smiled widely, turning crimson, “Fine.” He said, pressing into his touch for more. “You’re so full of yourself.” Keith said, but he was smiling. “I’m sorry if I like your unmeasured affection and attention for me.” Lance said. Keith only let out a soft huff of laughter, “Goof.” He whispered as he leaned in and kissed his temple, softly purring in affection. “What exactly are we doing today?” He asked as he pulled away. “I don’t exactly remember, you’re all that I’m thinking about right now.” Lance said. 

“You’re funny.” Keith deadpanned, but he quickly smiled. 

And then his smile grew as a thought suddenly, randomly hit him, “I just got an idea. Come. Come with me to the training deck, we’ll gather the team. Come on, come on!” He said, pulling away and taking his hand, pulling him out of their room and down the halls. “Whoa, whoa, what’s gotten into you?” Lance said, amused. “Just come on!” Keith said. Once they got the others into the training deck, in their armour, Keith stood in front of them with Lance, grinning. “All right guys, thank you for coming, first of all. Second of all, we are here because I have thought of a great idea. A great training, bonding exercise for us to do. It’s completely new, and I don’t know why it never came to mind until now.” He said. And then a wall rose up from the ground. 

  “Before we get to the actual team exercise, we’ll be doing this independently first. The objective is to climb up the wall. We’ll incorporate our bayards at one point, but right now, this is all about using our own weight. Hunk, I know that you’ll have a bit of difficulty with this, so if you think it’s too high for you, I’ll lower it so that it’s within your limits. Do you guys understand this first part of the exercise?” He said. They all nodded. “Now, to begin.” He turned to Lance and smiled, “Lance, if you would do the honours of kicking this off.” He said. Lance grinned, “Glady, Samurai.” He said before facing the wall and backing up. He then ran and jumped, using his momentum to run up the wall and swing himself up, landing on his feet. 

“And that’s how you do it!” He said. 

He then looked at Keith and winked, a confident smirk on his face. Keith laughed, “Great job, Sharpshooter. Hunk, do you want to give it a go?” He said fondly and proudly before turning to Hunk. The Yellow Paladin nodded, sure. “I got this. Lance, if you see me struggling, do not help me up, all right?” He said. “You sure, bud?” Lance called down. “Yeah, I think I can do it.” Hunk said. “Hunk, if you struggle, you can use your jet packs.” Keith said. “Won’t need to.” Hunk said. He ran to the wall and jump, grabbing onto it. He pulled himself up, but stayed down on the top, out of breath. He gave a thumbs up. Keith smiled and crossed his arms, “Pidge?” He looked at her. “Already ahead of you.” Pidge said. Surprisingly, for her small height, Pidge was able to leap high enough to get onto the top. 

  Her impressive agility made Keith think of her as a cat. More fittingly, a lion. “Good job, Pidge. Princess, if you would like to go ahead.” He called up to her before turning to Allura. “Of course.” Allura said. Not surprisingly, she was able to jump up and swing herself up in one go, making it look effortless. The others then jumped off, but Lance stayed on top, looking down at him and smirking, his blue eyes glittering playfully. “Coming, sweetheart?” He asked. Keith smirked back, “You bet, sweetheart.” He said, running to the wall and jumping, latching on. He swing himself up, straightening, facing Lance. Lance put his hands on his hips, a huff of amused laughter coming out of it. “Oh, it’s on, hotshot.” He said. Keith continued to lead his team through the exercise, and as he promised, he was able to incorporate the use of their bayards into their training. 

“Hey, Keith, you watching?” Lance asked, a dangerous glitter in his eyes.

He had his lance in his hand as he backed up. “Show me what you got, Sharpshooter.” Keith said, crossing his arms. Lance drew his arm back, and threw his lance near the top of the wall. Keith frowned, “The wall’s a bit higher this time. How are you going to reach your lance?” He said curiously. Lance smirked, “I learned this little thing when I was learning to use it. Just sit back and watch the pro.” He said as he stretched his arms, bouncing. He then took a few steps back, and Keith felt his breath hitch at how Lance’s eyes darkened with focus, and concentration. And then he took off and jumped. Keith watched in awe, wide-eyed, as Lance grabbed onto his bayard, hanging quite a distance away from the floor. 

  Keith reached out and stepped forward on instinct, gasping as his racing heart dropped in fear. “ _ Lance-“  _ His voice cracked. “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ve done this before! Well-not on a wall, but I’ve done something similar to this before!” Lance called down to him in assurance. “Be careful.” Keith said anxiously, readying himself to catch him should his lance pull loose somehow. Lance began to swing back and forth, using his weight as added momentum. At the last second, he swung up, landing on his feet at the top. He raised his arms, a wild grin on his face. “I did it! See, I did it, I’m fine!” He called down to him. Keith relaxed, and a proud smile came to his face.  _ Show off _ . “Babe, did you see that?! Did you see what I did?! Wasn’t I awesome?!” Lance called down to him, adrenalized. “That was more than awesome, Blue! I’ve never seen you do anything like that before, that was absolutely amazing!” Keith called back to him. Lance laughed, “Thanks, sweetheart! Now it’s your turn!” He said. Keith brought out his Galra blade, lengthening it. 

“Why not use your bayard?” Lance called down to him curiously. 

Keith looked at the wall, vaguely watching Lance pull his bayard out of it. “I have an idea.” Keith said. “Oh my god. Oh my god, are you going to use both?” Lance called to him excitedly. Keith smirked, “I’m going to use both.” He said in agreement, making his sword materialize in his other hand. Lance whooped, “You go, babe!” He shouted. Keith threw his Galra blade, watching it embed deeply into the wood. He then threw his sword, higher above his blade. He slightly crouched down, stretching out his arms. If Lance could pull off something like that and make him so starstruck, he was determined to make Lance react in the same result. 

  He ran forward and jumped, landing lightly on his Galra blade. Luxite metal was strong, especially in a way that it could support his weight. He turned, locking onto his other sword. “Hold on-the blade-Keith, you’ll cut yourself, wait-!” He heard Lance cry, but Keith was already jumping, landing on top of his other sword. “Oh. Oh, I thought you were going to grab onto the blade. Jesus, Keith, are you a cat? How are you landing on your swords like that?” Lance said. “Practice. Just like you.” Keith said. He leapt again, catching onto the wall, standing up. Lance stared at him, wide-eyed. “That...was absolutely amazing, Red. I never saw you do  _ that  _ before _ ,  _ that was so impressive.” He said. Keith smiled, “Thanks, sweetheart.” He said. Once they finally got through the last part of their training, where they had to work together to get every person over the wall, that was where they were finally done. 

“That was an impressive training exercise today, Keith. Our bond as Paladins feels more stronger than ever.” Allura said. 

Keith smiled, “Thanks, Princess. You guys all worked hard today. Take a break, rest up. We’ll see you guys later.” He said. As she, Hunk, and Pidge left, Keith walked to where he had pulled out his two swords, putting them both away. “C’mon, Blue. Let’s get out of here, go for a walk.” He called to Lance, turning to him. Lance was stretching his arms, letting out a long breath before holding up a finger. “Not yet.” He said. Keith crossed his arms, “Why? Something up?” He asked curiously. Lance let his arms drop as he smiled. “You and me. One on one. Right now.” He said. “Yeah?” Keith asked. “Yeah. I’d love to kick your butt again.” Lance said, smirking. “Hand to hand?” Keith said as he threw his Galra blade to the side. “What else would we do?” Lance asked. 

  Keith got into a ready stance, and Lance mirrored him, the smirk still on his face. “All right. Ready, set, go.” Keith said. But none of them made a move. They slowly started circling each other, whether they were aware of it or not. “Aren’t you gonna come at me, Sharpshooter?” Keith teased. “Right! So you can trick me at the last second with that move of yours again? No way. Why don’t  _ you  _ come at  _ me _ , Samurai?” Lance said. “If you say so.” Keith said, and leapt forward. Lance deflected his hits, pushing him away. “You’re still adrenalized from our session.” Keith noted. “Smart. So are you.” Lance said. He ran at him, and Keith dodged him, throwing him to the floor. “I hate that move.” Lance laughed. 

“But it’s effective, isn’t it?” Keith said as he took his hand, helping him up. 

“Unfortunately.” Lance said. Keith laughed, and Lance suddenly twisted his wrist, pulling it to the side and landing a strong kick to his chest, making him fly back. “Jesus-Did I break your wrist? I definitely felt the bones shift.” Lance called anxiously. Keith pushed himself up, “I’m fine, I’m fine. That was a good move, though.” He said. He then ran at him again, kicking out his leg, sweeping Lance’s legs out from under him. Lance cried out in surprise as he fell down. Keith snickered, putting his hand on his hip. “You literally fell for me. How flattering.” He teased. Lance kicked his leg out, but Keith dodged it, backing up. “You’re not supposed to let me get up, Keith!” Lance said as he quickly stood up.

   “Thanks for the reminder. I’ll be sure to keep you pinned down next time.” Keith said, smirking. Lance smirked back, “Just give up, Keith. You have no chance.” He said. “And give you the satisfaction of winning again? No way. Sorry, sweetheart, but there’s always next time.” Keith said. Lance ran at him and struck out, but Keith grabbed his wrist and threw him down again. “Quiznack! I didn’t react quick enough.” Lance said, quickly recovering. Keith placed his foot on his chest, smirking down at him. “What are you gonna do now, Sharpshooter?” He playfully taunted. Lance grabbed his ankle and heaved it up, making Keith let out a noise of surprise as he stumbled back. “Impressive. I was wondering if you’d use that move.” He said as he regained his balance. “It’s common sense when someone’s got their foot on your chest.” Lance said.

Keith smiled in agreement, going back to his ready stance. 

He ran at him, but got confused when Lance slightly crouched down. He felt his arms come around his waist, and let out a startled noise when Lance picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder. “Hey! What are you-! Put me down!” Keith said, struggling against him. Lance laughed, his grip on him tightening. “Nope! Never!” He said. “Lance, this isn’t how you-oh my god-this isn’t how you defeat someone in hand to hand combat!” Keith said. “No, but it’s how I defeat  _ you!”  _ Lance said playfully. “This isn’t even how you defeat me, what are you talking abo- _ Lance!”  _ Keith began, but then Lance spun him around, laughing. Keith clutched onto him, trying furiously hard to fight the smile coming onto his face and the laughter rising in his chest. 

  “Lance, put me d-stop that! Lance, I swear to god-! Blue-!” Keith was now basically shrieking as Lance spun him clockwise and counterclockwise, laughing uncontrollably. And now Keith was uncontrollably giggling too. “ _ Lance, this is serious, you can’t just-! You-ahahaha!”  _ He cut himself off, unable to do anything else except hold on and giggle like a child. “Do you surrender?” Lance asked playfully. “Never!” Keith gasped. Lance spun him around again, but a little slower this time. The world was tumbling in Keith’s vision as he fought to get his breath back, letting out a sharp exhale. “All right, all right, you got me. Put me down.” He finally gasped. Lance set him down, keeping a hold on him to steady him. Keith lightly laughed, “You’re so ridiculous.” He said. “ _ You’re  _ ridiculous.” Lance said. He then wrapped his arms around his waist again, leaning closer. “ _ Ridiculously cute.”  _ He whispered before affectionately kissing him. 

Keith’s head was spinning, now more so because of Lance. 

Lance pulled back, “I win.” He whispered. “That wasn’t even a win. I demand a rematch.” Keith said. Lance pulled back, laughing, “Next time, Samurai. You said something about going for a walk? Come on, let’s go get changed before doing that, then.” He said. A few minutes later, the two were out of their armour and in their normal clothes, fingers entwined as they walked through the city. “Keith?” Lance said suddenly. “What?” Keith asked. “I know you don’t want to talk about this yet, but you’ve gotta address your situation with your mom and...Acxa. I don’t want you to hide it away, it’ll just keep tearing away at you.” Lance said. Keith stayed silent for a second before sighing. “It’ll take some time. But I will apologize to my mother and talk to her about this. Acxa, however…I don’t know what I’m going to do with her.” He said. 

   Lance squeezed his hand in comfort. Keith relaxed and slightly smiled at him in gratitude. “Hey, do you hear that?” Lance asked suddenly, looking around. “Hear what?” Keith asked. “Listen.” Lance said. Keith focused his sharp ears, and heard music playing. “Oh, I love this song! Come on, come on!” Lance said, and pulled him through the crowd. “W-wait-“ Keith said. They got to where the music was playing, and Lance faced him, pulling him close. “Dance with me.” He said. Keith stuttered as Lance put his arms around his waist, making him sway to the music with him. Keith turned redder and redder with every second, flustered. But as they danced, Keith relaxed, wrapping his arms around his neck. Lance softly hummed, his eyes glittering as he smiled.

Keith’s breath caught in his throat at how his blue eyes were sparkling a beautiful icy colour because of the lights. 

He felt like he was drowning. “I really think someone took the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes.” He said breathlessly. The words that he had said in the hall of Treyiv’s castle when they had their first dance rang through his mind. Lance darkly blushed, his smile growing. “That’s-that’s sweet, Red.” He stuttered. Keith blushed, smiling at him shyly. They stopped dancing, smiling at each other, love-stricken. “Thanks for the dance.” Lance said. “I should be thanking  _ you.  _ You were the one who got me to- _ mmrph!” _ Keith began, but then Lance quickly leaned in and kissed him, cutting him off. He quickly pulled back, his face a dark crimson. “I love you.” He said softly. Keith got over his slight shock, and a lovesick smile spread onto his face. “I love you too.” He whispered.

   He then pulled him back in. And everything fell away, until it just became the two of them. They broke away, resting their foreheads together. Lance gently brushed his thumb over Keith’s scar, and Keith pressed into his touch as he loudly purred, wanting more. “I can’t believe it’s been 3 weeks. It feels like we got married yesterday.” Lance suddenly said. “You’re telling me that when we got married, I was crying in your arms? That wasn’t at all what happened, Blue.” Keith said, smiling. “You know what I mean.” Lance said. “Yeah, I know.” Keith said, leaning in and affectionately nuzzling him.

Lance nuzzled him back.

“If I could have a chance to repeat that day, I wouldn’t even hesitate.” He murmured softly. Keith smiled, “You’re so quiznacking sweet. I wouldn’t hesitate either.” He whispered affectionately, turning crimson. 


	39. Chapter 39

Keith gently ran his fingers through Lance’s curly brown locks, focused on the tablet he was holding, reading through important information that was going through the Coalition. He and Lance were sitting in the lounge, with Lance’s head in Keith’s lap as they worked. The others were doing the same work, filing through info. Keith mainly kept a close eye on the Blade of Marmora, to see what his mother and Kolivan were up to with continuing their search for missing Blades that were in space. “They’ve been creating new advanced stuff in Olkarion.” Lance suddenly noted. “They’re always creating newly advanced stuff.” Keith said, gently scratching his head. The motion made Lance let out a hiss, and he sighed, catching Keith’s attention. He looked down at him, seeing he was rubbing his forehead, putting his tablet down. “What’s wrong? Does your head hurt?” Keith asked, concerned. 

    “God, yeah, it’s been hurting all day. Your scratching it kinda helps, please keep doing it.” Lance said. Keith continued to gently scratch and rub his head. He went back to his tablet, but kept a close eye on Lance, concerned. “Take a break.” He said. “I would, but I can’t. Gotta sift through all this info.” Lance said, picking up his tablet, scrolling through it again. “You don’t need to, you can take a break and come back to it.” Keith said. “I’m fine, I swear. It’s just a headache.” Lance said. But the more Keith scratched and rubbed his head, he could see he was falling into a doze from his touch. So he kept at it as he slowly took Lance’s tablet and set it aside. “You strain your eyes too much when you’ve got a headache.” Keith murmured. But not more than two seconds passed when an alarm rang throughout the Castle, jolting Lance out of his doze as he bolted upright, gasping. 

Keith instantly reached out and touched his shoulder to steady him before standing up, “Trouble?” He asked to Allura, seeing she was also standing up. 

She nodded, and they all made for the observation deck. Allura went up to the glowing red screen, Keith following her. Allura gasped, and her skin went pale. “What? What is it?” Keith asked, alarmed. “The distress signal. It is coming from your planet, Treyiv.” Allura said. Keith let out a sharp breath, horrified. He turned to Lance, who had the same look. “Oh my god. Queen Loucia. Lux, Koda! Why are they sending a distress signal, what’s happening?” He said, panicked. “It says they’ve suddenly been brought under a random attack.” Allura said. “How? Our enemy is dead, who would be attacking them? Why?” Keith said. “I-I do not know. It does not say.” Allura said. 

   Keith instantly turned around to the others, “I know you guys don’t know Treyiv as well as Lance and I do, but~” He said, but Pidge cut him off. “Aren’t you going to tell us to suit up and get into our lions?” She said. Keith nodded in understanding. “All right. Suit up. Get into your Lions. We head straight for Treyiv.” He said. In space, Keith could hear Lance muttering to himself. “Come on, come on...Answer me, Lux…” Keith felt very worried, but tried to keep calm. “They’re fine. She probably can’t answer right now. They’ll all be fighting off whoever’s attacking them.” Keith assured. “I have the most terrible feeling, Keith. Something is  _ wrong.  _ Something feels so wrong.” Lance said. “I know. I feel it too. But we can’t let it get to us. We have to focus. Treyiv’s our second home. We will do everything in our power to protect it.” Keith softly admitted. 

“You’re right.” Lance said. 

When they got close to Treyiv, Keith could quite literally see the explosions erupting from the planet. “Oh my God.” Lance gasped. Keith pushed Black’s control, urging him to go faster. They got onto the ground, and Keith turned to the others, “Allura, Hunk, Pidge, you guys go and see who needs help. Be ready to fight. Lance and I will head to the Castle to find the Queen and her daughter.” Keith said. They took off, and he and Lance ran toward the Castle, hearing shouting in the distance. But what they both stopped at was the agonizing, heartbroken wail that echoed from the Castle, splitting through the air. “Koda!” Lance cried, and they both ran faster, bursting through the Castle doors. And what they found in the courtyard made them both skid to a stop. “No…” Lance whispered. Koda clutched a limp, bloodied Lux in her arms, crying in anguish. 

  Queen Loucia was kneeling beside her, also in great pain. “L...Lux…?” Keith whispered. Lance ran to Lux, and Keith followed him, kneeling in front of her. “Lance. Keith. Thank the stars you came.” Queen Loucia said. Keith looked at her, “Who did this? Who hurt her?” He asked. Queen Loucia shook her head, tears in her eyes, “That...that Galra...L~” She began, but then Lux coughed, and Keith looked down at her in alarm, seeing her open her different coloured eyes. “L...Lance…? K...Keith…?” She weakly whispered. “Lux. Hey. Hey, sweetie.” Lance said, his voice shaking as he reached for her, touching her arm. Keith did the same, his heart racing. “You guys came.” Lux whispered. “Of course we did. We said we owed you for taking care of us, remember?” Keith said softly. Lux laughed, but then winced. “Don’t do that, sweetie, you’re hurt. You’re-you’re really badly hurt. Who did this to you?” Lance said. “He was...about to...hurt Koda. I couldn’t let him do that…I had thought he...he was dead, but...he has been alive all this time…” Lux whispered. 

“Who is it?” Keith asked. 

Lux let out a sharp breath, “Prince…Prince Lotor…” She got out. Keith felt ice consume his entire being. “Lotor?” Lance whispered shakily.  _ No. That’s not possible. They had left him for dead in the quintessence field. Unless… _ Keith touched Lance’s shoulder to calm him down. “Haggar. Before she came to us.” He said lowly. “But why would he attack Treyiv?” Lance asked. “Revenge.” Keith said. Lux coughed again, “Go. Get him. I’ll be fine.” She said, making them both look at her. “No. No, we won’t leave you.” Lance said. “Don’t be stupid. Don’t be like my brothers. They’re...they’re pretty stupid like that. Just go.” Lux said.  _ Brothers.  _ Lance’s breath hitched, and Keith reached out to touch Lux’s cheek, “We’ll hunt him down for you, little Raven.” He said softly. Lux weakly smiled at him in response. Lance and Keith got up, taking one more look at Lux before running off. “She’s badly hurt. But she’s holding out. She’s going to be fine, Lance.” Keith said.

   “I know. We need to tell the others about Lotor. We need to find him and take him down for hurting Lux.” Lance said. Something caught Keith’s attention, and he looked up to see a Sincline ship passing over the Castle.  _ Lotor’s _ Sincline ship. Keith turned on his comms. “Everyone, get into your Lions immediately.” He said. “Keith, what’s going on? What’s happening?” Pidge’s voice came in. “It’s Lotor. He’s back.” Keith said. He could literally hear the shock from his team. “L...Lotor?” He heard Allura whisper. “How...is he back?” Hunk asked softly. “Most likely Haggar. Somehow she brought him back.” Keith said. He signaled to Lance, and he nodded, running off. Keith followed him, “Get into your Lions, everyone. We need to get to him.” He said. “But we don’t know what he’s like. What if he’s more-more evil than before?” Hunk said. “You’re right. We need to approach him with caution. Be ready for a fight. We’re going to take him down.” Keith said. 

He and Lance took off in Black and Red, taking to the air. 

Allura, Hunk, and Pidge followed them. Keith looked around, “His ship should still be near the castle. There!” He said, and saw the Sincline ship still hovering over the castle. And then a chilling voice erupted through the comms. “Long time, no see, Voltron.” Keith narrowed his eyes, “Lotor.” He said lowly. “You don’t sound surprised to see me. What a shame. I would have made the most perfect entrance.” Lotor said. “Why are you attacking this planet? There are millions of people living here.” Keith said. “Attacking? Oh, I’m not attacking, dear leader. I was simply trying to catch your attention, and here you are. Like I knew you would be.” Lotor said. “What do you want from us? We have no business with you, except to bring you down.” Lance called out. 

  “Contrary to your belief, I am not here to fight. I brought you out here for a discussion. I didn’t expect all of you to come out, though I suppose that the distress signal made you think different. I merely want to... _ talk. _ ” Lotor said. “We’re not interested in whatever you have to say.” Keith said lowly. “I think you might change your mind when it comes to the safety of this planet.” Lotor said. Keith growled, “You wouldn’t dare. We’d take you right down before you even tried to make a move.” He hissed. “Then we shouldn’t have any problems, then. I will only take up a few moments of your time, and then we will forget this ever happened and go right back to our way of normal. One on one, you and I, Black Paladin.” Lotor said. Keith stayed silent for a few seconds. “Keith. Keith, no, it’s a trap. You feel it too.” Lance said. But Keith had no choice. “Fine. I’m flying out of my Lion and into your ship. But only if you leave my teammates and this planet alone. We talk in space.” He said. “ _ What?  _ Keith, no!” Lance shouted. “All right. But your teammates are not allowed to follow. Do we have a deal?” Lotor said.

“Keith, don’t you dare. Don’t you~” Lance warned, but Keith spoke over him. 

“Deal.” He said. “Keith! Keith, don’t do this! You know it’s a trap, you know it is!” Lance cried. “I know. But he’s threatening Treyiv, Lance. I can’t risk it. The moment something goes wrong, I  _ will  _ tell you guys. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Keith said. He then got out of Black, heading toward Lotor’s ship. “Keith! Keith!” He heard Lance’s voice over his comms, frantic. “Lance, no! You heard what Lotor said! We can’t follow them!” Pidge said, and Keith glanced to his team, seeing Blue was being held back by Green. “He didn’t say he would bring him back! Keith! I swear to God if you don’t come back in 5 minutes I’m going to go after you no matter what Lotor said! Don’t you let him get anywhere close to you!” Lance shouted. “Don’t worry.” Keith said, trying to calm him.. He entered Lotor’s ship, and it took off as he walked through the doors. 

  He instantly went tense when he saw Lotor, his hair wild and crazy, and every inch of his skin lined with ugly scars. Keith’s instincts were going haywire, keeping him alert. “There you are, Black Paladin. We meet again.” Lotor said, turning to him. Keith gripped his sword, “You have 5 minutes. Talk. And don’t try anything funny. We may not have been able to defeat you, but don’t think for a second that we won’t succeed next time.” He said. “Put the sword away, why don’t you? I merely wanted to talk to you peacefully. Can’t we do that?” Lotor said. “What makes you think we can talk peacefully after what you’ve done?” Keith hissed. “I truly did want peace, old friend. I was blindsided by the trauma of my past.” Lotor said. “We are  _ not old friends.  _ You played us.” Keith hissed. “I know. But I have come to ask to be redeemed.” Lotor said. A low growl rose from Keith’s throat, “ _ Redeemed?  _ You are far beyond that. You drained countless Alteans of their life for your  _ experiments. Your life research. You hurt people. You hurt my team. You don’t deserve redemption.”  _ He hissed.

“Have you ever been abused?” Lotor suddenly asked.

The question threw Keith off, making him narrow his eyes at him. Lotor stepped to him, but Keith raised his sword, growling at him. “From what it looks like, no, you haven’t. You don’t even know what it’s like. Look at you. Half-Galra. You got off so easy.” Lotor said. “You and I, we are both half-Galra. You must have been ostracized for that half as I did for being half-Altean. I had thought that you and I would have some kind of connection, as half-breeds who were treated differently.” He then said. “We don’t have any kind of connection. You don’t have much time left.” Keith said. “Allow me to prove myself. Prove that I am worthy of Voltron’s trust and alliance again. My intentions of peace were true. Even if you do not believe me.” Lotor said again. Keith growled at him, rage overwhelming him.  _ Lotor had hurt Lux. He had hurt  _ _ Lance _ _. Why would he? Why would he?  _

    “We won’t fall for your tricks, Lotor.  _ I  _ won’t. I won’t let you endanger my team again. Your time’s up. Now leave this planet. And never come back.” Keith said. He turned and walked away, but then Lotor stopped him. “I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” He said. Keith turned, only to see Lotor leap at him with his sword. Lance heard Keith shout in alarm, and his instincts instantly kicked in. “He’s in trouble! We need to get up there!” He said, pushing Blue’s controls forward. The others followed him to space, but Lance suddenly stopped, seeing that Lotor’s Sincline ship door was opening. Lotor had Keith in a headlock, sword on his exposed neck. Keith didn’t look hurt, but dark rage consumed Lance at how he was struggling to fight Lotor’s grip on him. “ _ Get your hands off him!”  _ He roared. “Unless you want me to kill him, I suggest you stay where you are, Paladins.” Lotor called out. Lance snarled as Red opened his mouth, ready to unleash hell. 

“Let this be a warning. If any of you try to stop me and my plans, I will destroy everything you know and love.” Lotor said. 

He then lowered his sword and pushed Keith out of the ship, making him flail about. Lance was about to go to him, but Keith righted himself, and Black went to him as Lotor’s ship took off. “Are you okay? What did he do to you?” Lance instantly asked frantically, turning to him. “I’m fine, I’m fine. He attacked me. He’s stronger than before, I almost wasn’t able to deflect his attacks.” Keith assured, but was slightly troubled. “I knew it was a trap. What do we do?” Lance said. “We go to the Castle. Think of a plan. Lotor just threatened everyone and everything we care about. We know nothing about his new self, so let’s figure him out, and what he wants to do.” Keith said. And so that’s what they did. Keith walked out of Black, taking off his helmet. He twitched when Lance embraced him, but instantly eased, wrapping his arms around him.

    “I’m so glad you’re okay. I thought he hurt you. I would have killed him.” Lance whispered. Keith breathed in his scent, feeling grounded by his touch and presence. He ran his fingers through his hair, “I’m glad you’re okay too. And Lux will be okay.” He said softly. They then pulled away, resting their foreheads together for a second. Keith gently nuzzled him before pulling away. “C’mon. Let’s get to the observation deck.” He said softly. They walked out of the hangar, and the others followed them to the observation deck. “Lotor’s changed. That’s no secret. He’s much more stronger, and he’s unpredictable.” Keith said, facing his team. “We don’t know if he still has the same plan in mind. Pidge, tell me what happens when someone is exposed to massive amounts of quintessence.” He said. Pidge stepped up, “What happens is corruption. Irreversible sickness, and then death. That’s what happened to Zarkon and Honerva. But they were resurrected. If you were somehow able to survive that much exposure to quintessence, your physical structure and biology would be greatly changed. You’d be stronger, faster. You’d quite literally be overflowing with quintessence. That would be much more stronger too. You’d only be able to keep yourself from getting sick and dying from magic.” She said. 

“There we go. So he’s basically infused with quintessence. Who have we faced with something like that?” Keith said.

“Zarkon and Haggar.” Lance said. “Exactly. So we have a base of what we’re dealing with. Like I said before, he’s unpredictable. We don’t know how long he’s been out of the quintessence field. We don’t know what he’s up to. What he wants to do. That’s why I say that we follow him close behind. See where he’s going. Pidge, I know you can use your thermal imaging to catch his ship, so I want you to start by running scans on nearby planets around Treyiv. If you can’t find him, you keep widening the search. Hunk, I want you to help her. Allura, I want you to stay here and put out a broadcast to our allies, and tell them what’s happened. Leave no one out of this, including Shiro and the Garrison. We need to be as prepared as we can. Lance.” Keith said before turning to Lance.

   “You and me, we’ll try to find some sort of info. After we do that, we’ll go out in our Lions and do some rounds. No one calls for backup yet, not until we know exactly what Lotor’s plans are and how much the quintessence exposure has changed him. Does everyone understand what they need to do?” He said. His team nodded in agreement, and everyone went off. “Keith.” Allura caught his attention, and he came to her, looking at her screen. “No one else has sent any distress signals. Or any warnings. No one else seems to know he’s back.” She said. “Exactly why you need to do the broadcast. Make sure the Blade of Marmora hears it as well. Keep it short and to the point, but make sure that you also don’t sugar coat it. This is a very serious matter. We need them to be ready in case he tries to attack another one of our allies. If any of you find anything, contact us immediately. Keep us updated.” Keith said. “Let’s go, Blue.” He then turned to Lance, indicating with his head. 

   “Roger that, Samurai.” Lance said, and they both ran out of the observation deck, back to their lions. “We probably won’t find anything.” Lance’s voice came in over the comms as Keith sat in the pilot seat, adjusting his controls. “I know. But Pidge and Hunk are using the thermal imaging as added support, so if they find something, we can go see it while we do a patrol.” Keith said. They then went off. “What do we do if he attacks another one of our allies anyway? We don’t know what he’s like, how are we supposed to even believe that he won’t do something like that?” Lance asked, sounding worried. “Then we attack him. We’ll go more into a strategy while we’re on this patrol, and then we’ll review it with the team.” Keith said. “All right.” Lance said. 

“Got any ideas for me, Sharpshooter?” Keith asked, keeping close to him. 

“I say that when it comes down to us fighting, we don’t disband unless we have to. We play both defence and strategy. And offense.” Lance said. “Go on.” Keith said. “We know how Lotor fights. So much exposure to Quintessence doesn’t make you fight different, it just makes you a more bloodthirsty fighter. He’s skilled. Think about how he fought us with his own robot. It would be exactly like that all over again, except now he’s more stronger. It’ll be harder for us to defeat him again, but not impossible. He’s kind of like a ticking time bomb, isn’t he?” Lance said. “That’s right.” Keith said. “I’m assuming he’s now semi-dependant of Quintessence. He’s like, extremely addicted. He probably takes doses of it like Zarkon did. If we kept attacking him, he’s bound to crack at one point, and then the rest of it falls like dominos. You know what I mean?” Lance said. “We use Quintessence against him like last time.” Keith said, nodding. 

   “My mom always did say too much of something is bad, and could kill you.” Lance said, a light tone to his voice. Keith smiled fondly, “She’s not wrong. You’ve killed  _ me _ , but that’s because I can’t get enough of you.” He said. Lance let out a small laugh, “Not bad, Red. Not bad.” He said. Pidge’s voice suddenly came in over the comms, “Hey Keith? I just wanted to call in, say that Hunk and I are still trying to search the area. I’ve used the qualities from the Sincline ship, and there is still nothing. I’ve even expanded the radius, and it’s telling me right now that there is nothing.” She said. “Impossible. Lotor’s ship may be the fastest one I’ve ever seen, but there is no way it got out of this sector in such a short amount of time.” Keith said.

“Either he’s jumping in and out of the Quintessence field again, or his ship’s upgraded.” Lance said. 

Keith looked at him from his screen, “Upgraded how?” He asked. Lance looked to him, “Him jumping in and out of the Quintessence field is  _ most likely  _ what he’s doing, but what I mean is that his ship was in there too. It’s infused with Quintessence too. The Castle doesn’t recognize it because those qualities Pidge put in aren’t there anymore. It’s what it formerly was. Pidge, you’re looking for a regular Sincline ship, all of which we destroyed in our last battle with Haggar. You’re looking for something that doesn’t exist anymore.” He explained. “That makes so much sense.” Pidge said. Keith nodded in agreement, “Quick thinking, Lance. You gave me an idea. When we come across him again, we get a scan of the ship. And when we see its qualities and get that into the system, we put thermal panels all around our ally planets with triggers on them. If Lotor passes by, we get a signal. That way, not only we can know where he is, but so can everyone else. Is that something you and Hunk can do, Pidge?” He said. 

   “It’ll take a few days, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. Hunk and I will go out later to stock up on materials we’ll need. Also, Keith, there’s no need to cross by Lotor’s ship.” Pidge said. “What do you mean?” Keith said. “Our suits make an automatic scan of new ships that we get onto, remember? You were there on his ship. You have that information Hunk and I need.” Pidge said. “Right.” Keith said in realization. “So finish up your patrol and get back here. I’ll get started right away on uploading the info from you.” Pidge said. “You got it.” Keith said. Once they got back to the Castle, Keith quickly made way to Allura first. “Have you contacted everyone?” He asked. “Yes, the entire Coalition has been informed. Shiro expressed his concerns about Lotor’s coming back, but he knows that we will be able to bring him down again. I also informed everyone of your-what was it-thermal processing objects. Everything should be, as you Earthlings say, smooth sailings from here.” Allura said. 

Keith nodded before stepping closer to her, “I haven’t asked you how you felt about all this. About having to deal with Lotor again after what happened.” He said, dropping his voice to a more gentle tone. 

Allura stayed quiet for a few seconds before answering. “I do not know what to feel. Truly, this is rather difficult for me to accept. But I know that we must defeat him.  _ Really  _ defeat him. In due time, it will no longer matter to me.” She admitted. Keith felt sympathy for her. “If you ever want to talk, don’t hesitate. I might not be good with words, but I listen well. Consider me someone to vent to.” He said. Allura frowned, “What does that mean?” She asked, returning back to the Altean Princess who didn’t understand Earth’s language. Keith slightly smiled, “It just means you can talk to me. Okay?” He said. Allura nodded, and then smiled, “I cannot begin to tell you how amazed I am by your growth, Keith. You were not exactly a good leader in the past, no offense. But now you have become one of the most formidable I know. Especially with Lance leading beside you.” She said. Keith’s smile grew, and he felt slightly touched by her words, accepting her light joke. “Thanks, Princess.” He said. 

   He then walked away from her, going to Pidge and Hunk. Lance, with them, leaned over Pidge’s chair, almost lifting himself off the ground. “So, how does it work? Are you gonna use Keith’s helmet?” He asked. “That’s exactly how it works, but I’ll also use the communicator in his arm. That gives me some details we could find to be useful.” Pidge said. She then looked to Keith and held out her hand, “Helmet.” She said. Keith stepped closer to her, putting his red helmet in her hands. Pidge slightly scowled, “You should really change the colours of your suits, guys. It’s getting confusing to see you guys in Black and Red, but with red and blue armour. And it’s not just us. A lot of the aliens are getting confused too.” She said. Hunk came to Keith and sat him down, attaching a cord to the brace on his arm. “You don’t even know how many times I’ve been asked why you guys are wearing blue and red armour if you’re the Red and Black Paladins.” Hunk said in agreement, but he was smiling.

“Things have been moving quickly, it wasn’t exactly in our minds.” Keith said. 

“Yeah, guys, give us some slack.” Lance said in support. Keith looked at him and smiled, and Lance winked at him in response. “All right...halfway there…” Pidge said. “What’s it saying?” Lance asked. “It’s saying that you need to stop hovering over me like that, please.” Pidge said. Keith raised an eyebrow at her, and she caught him. “I said please! I’m sorry, but he keeps fidgeting! He’s making  _ me  _ fidgety!” She said. “Well I didn’t want to be around you anyways.” Lance said childishly, sticking his tongue out at her before walking around her chair, coming to sit beside Keith. Keith reached for him with his other hand, lightly and quickly brushing his thumb over his chin as a sign of affection before pulling away. A new motion that made Lance smile.

   “New and different qualities, new and different decoding. No problem. Let’s get down to it, then.” Pidge said, and Keith looked at her to see her crack her knuckles. “Is it done uploading, then?” Keith asked. “Yep, got it all.” Pidge said. “I’ve also got all the info from your arm communicator.” Hunk said, pulling the cord out. “All right, then. Tell us what you come up with. Come on, Lance. We’ve got some Paladin armour to paint.” Keith said as he stood up, pulling Lance to his feet. He grabbed his helmet from Pidge and took Lance’s hand again, and they walked out of the observation deck together. “I wonder why it took us so long. We were basically supposed to do this the moment you became leader, and I became your right hand.” Lance said. “Like I said. Things have been hectic. I didn’t really become the official leader until after my fight with Shiro’s clone.” Keith said. “They’re gonna struggle with calling us the Black and Red Paladins, aren’t they?” Lance suddenly asked. 

Keith laughed, “Oh, I can just hear it now. ‘Thank you, Red-I mean-Black Paladin’.” He said.

“‘I’m very sorry, Blue-excuse me-Red Paladin.” Lance said with a laugh. “Oh my God, imagine  _ Allura _ . She has to change her pink attire to blue. And then they’d be calling her ‘Princess-I mean-Blue Paladin-I mean-“ everyone would be so confused by all the sudden changes. Oh, we should have done this earlier.” Keith said. They painted their Paladin armour the right colour while Lance talked to Allura over his comms about having to get her own colour palette changed. Her audible face-palm of realization made them laugh even harder, and that was what made it the start of a terrible, yet ridiculous running joke. For a while, as their armour dried, Lance and Keith were able to forget about Lotor’s return as they spent the next few minutes relaxing together on the floor, propped against a wall of the room they were in, fingers intertwined as they talked. “You know we’ll have to do a second coating, right?” Lance said as he leaned to Keith, resting his head on his shoulder. “Yes, I know, Lance.” Keith said, kissing his head before resting his own on top of it. 

    Lance suddenly yawned, and it caught Keith’s attention. “Tired?” He asked softly. “Not entirely.” Lance said. And yet, both were beginning to fall asleep against each other anyway. “We shouldn’t be falling asleep..” Keith mumbled, slowly rubbing his eyes. Lance lifted his head and pulled him to him, making him sort of curl into him. “Lance…” Keith quietly mumbled, trying to pull away. “Just a few seconds. The paint needs to fully dry.” Lance whispered softly, wrapping his arms around him. Drawn to his warmth and voice, Keith gave up and nuzzled into him, loosely draping one arm over his shoulder as he fixed his position, closing his eyes again. He breathed in his familiar scent as he buried his face into the long crook of his neck, and it calmed him, lulling him to sleep. Pidge would tell them what she and Hunk found. A soft purr began to rumble inside Keith, falling into rhythm with his breaths.

He was asleep for at least 10 seconds before he suddenly, sharply inhaled and pulled away, startling Lance.

“ _ Keith…” _ Lance whined in protest. “Lance, we can’t. Not right now, not when we have things to do.” Keith said. “But  _ babe, it’s been a really long day.”  _ Lance whined again as he pouted, giving him tired puppy eyes. Keith softened and reached out to gently brush his cheek, “I know it has.” He said as he leaned in and kissed his temple. “I know.” He said more gently. He then lightly nuzzled him in consolation and comfort. Lance nuzzled him back, both in reciprocation and in attempt to pull him back to him. But Keith pulled away, softly chuckling. “C’mon sweetheart. Let’s finish with our armour and figuring out what’s going on with Lotor, and then we can go back to sleep. Hmm?” His voice was soft as he gently coaxed him. Lance whined again, pouting even more before giving up, “Fine. Let’s get this over with.” He said as they both stood up. They finished putting on the second coats before putting on their armour. 

  Keith turned to Lance, “Let me s~” he began, only to cut off when Lance looked at him, in his new, red Paladin armour. It was a sort of different red than the marks on his cheeks. Keith’s breath hitched, and he felt heat spread over his face. “Wow. That-fits you-so nicely.” He got out. Lance rubbed the back of his neck, “Really? Um, th-thanks. It-it feels kinda weird, though.” He said nervously as he blushed, “That black fits you nicely too.” He added. Keith blushed even more, “T-thank you. It feels a bit weird for me too.” He stuttered. A glint came into Lance’s eyes, and he stepped closer to him. “You know, you  _ do  _ fit me so nicely.” He said. Keith nervously laughed as he turned crimson. “Well, I might not be changing my colours to blue, but you fit me nicely too.” He said. 

Lance turned the same shade of crimson as his smile grew. 

He then suddenly reached for the blue paint, dipping his thumb into it, quickly brushing a line over Keith’s cheek. Keith pulled back in surprise, “Hey-!” He said, touching his cheek, seeing blue paint on his fingers. Lance laughed, “You said it yourself.” He said. Keith stared at him for a second before reaching for the red paint, doing the same thing to Lance. Lance gasped, touching his cheek. “Keith!” He protested. “What? I can’t do the same to you?” Keith said, smirking. He then grabbed Lance and pulled him closer, smearing another red line down the middle of his forehead. Lance loudly protested, pushing him away. “Not on my forehead, Keith!” He said, his ears turning red. Keith laughed, but then Lance suddenly did the same thing to him, making him cut off. “How do you like  _ that,  _ huh?” Lance said. Keith touched his forehead, his face burning, “A-a lot, actually.” He stuttered. 

     They then stared at each other before they both burst out laughing. “Look at us. We’ve made a mess.” Keith said. He then pointed at Lance, “This is your fault.” He said. “No it’s not!” Lance said. “Yes it is! You started this! You decided to paint my cheek blue!” Keith said. “Yeah, because you said I fit you so nicely!” Lance said. “You said it first! And now we’ve both got more paint on our cheeks, and paint on our foreheads.” Keith said as he laughed. Lance was still laughing too. Keith watched him, and suddenly softened as a lovesick smile spread onto his face. He reached out and touched his cheek, and Lance stopped laughing, looking at him. “What?” He asked. “I love you so much, Blue.” Keith said softly. Lance pressed into his touch, getting more red paint on his cheek. “I love you too, Red.” He said quietly, smiling back. 

Keith reached up and quickly kissed him before pulling away. 

“C’mon. Let’s get back to the others.” He said, pulling him with him. “Wait, wait, we didn’t close the cans.” Lance said, pulling away, going back to the cans of paint. Keith followed him, closing the other jars. When they finished, Lance came to him and took his hand, and they both walked out. Back in the observation deck, they went to Pidge and Hunk. “What have you guys figured out?” Keith asked, crossing his arms. Pidge looked extremely troubled, and she looked at Hunk, who was twiddling his fingers in anxiety. “Allura, you should listen to this.” Pidge called to her. Allura came to them, concerned. “Hunk and I decoded the info from Keith’s helmet and communicator. And what we found is really startling.” Pidge said. She then fixed her glasses, “Lotor’s Sincline ship possesses qualities almost identical to a Zaiforge canon. At least 5 of them.” She said.

   Keith, Lance, and Allura all got startled. “Is that…even possible?” Keith asked. “No. I have never seen anything like this before. Lance, you were right, the ship’s exposure to Quintessence made its structure change to the qualities of a completely different weapon. And well beyond anything we’ve ever seen, heard of, or known. Guys, this ship is accurately more identical to a  _ large Galra cruiser.”  _ Pidge said. “Oh my God.” Lance said, speaking Keith’s exact thought. Pidge looked at them both, “Keith, Lance...what do we do?” She asked. Keith shared a troubled look with Lance before looking to the rest of his team. “Well, maybe it’s like Lotor. The ship’s like a kettle pot. A ticking time bomb. It’s only a matter of time before it explodes.” Keith said. “So we attack it with more Quintessence like we will with Lotor.” Lance said. “To do that would require Quintessence just as strong.  _ Non- _ corrupted Quintessence.” Pidge said. 

“We’ll get to that when we get an idea of where Lotor is.” Keith said. 

He then looked at her, “Is the new info working on your scanner?” He asked. “Yes, it’s searching right now. While it’s doing that, Hunk and I will start to work on the thermal panels.” Pidge said as she stood, stretching. “Any way we can help?” Lance asked. “Maybe. Tag along. Allura, you can come too.” Pidge said as she walked out, Hunk following her. Lance, Keith, and Allura followed them into the lounge, following whatever orders Pidge gave them. Keith could literally feel the tension in the air from their new findings. He was more hyper aware of Lance, who was sitting beside him, clearly stressed out from how he was bouncing his leg. Keith looked to him and reached out, gently putting his hand on his leg. Lance instantly stopped and looked at him. “It’s all right. We’ll figure this out.” Keith assured, moving to then place his hand on his shoulder. Lance nodded, “I know. I just can’t stop thinking about it. The fact that Lotor’s ship is basically a Galra cruiser makes me really anxious.” He said. 

    “I know. It just doesn’t sit right. But we can’t let it bother us too much, not when we need to focus.” Keith agreed. Lance looked anxious, “Lotor’s a more bigger threat than Zarkon ever was. I mean-how can you focus when it stresses you out?” He said. “I know. Easy, Sharpshooter.” Keith said, rubbing his arm to calm him. Lance slightly smiled in appreciation, some of his tension fading. 


	40. Chapter 40

Keith finally had to tell everyone to get a long rest after some hours of putting together thermal panels. Pidge said they weren’t finished, but Keith assured her they would come back to it once they all rested. Keith eased when Lance’s fingers slowly, gently ran through his hair, his other arm coming around his back. Keith slightly burrowed his head into Lance’s chest, but then Lance was pulling him, and Keith made a soft inquiring noise as he let him, shifting up more. Lance pulled him back down, making him tuck his head under his chin. “Sleep.” Lance mumbled, wrapping his arms around him more fully. Keith softly sighed and nuzzled into his neck, his eyes growing heavy and his breaths easing as he felt Lance’s fingers gently and slowly run through his hair again. And not a moment passed before he fell asleep, Lance following shortly. 

_ “Hey, hey, wait.” Keith pulled on Lance’s arm, stopping him from going to the bed. Lance looked at him in tired confusion, and Keith gently tugged on his arm, leading him into the bathroom. “We’ve gotta wash off the extra paint.” Keith said. “Oh. Right.” Lance said, rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. Keith let Lance wash off the blue paint on his cheeks and forehead, smiling fondly when he’d plant a soft kiss on those spots after the paint was gone. “It’s kinda sad that it has to go. I liked it.” Lance said quietly as he gently rubbed Keith’s cheeks and forehead with a towel. “It has to, it might be toxic for our skin. You, in particular _ ,  _ would not like that.” Keith said as he started to wipe the red paint off Lance’s cheeks. Then he slightly smiled, “But I liked it too.” He admitted. Lance softly sighed, his shoulders dropping. He pressed into Keith’s touch, his eyes drooping. “Hey. Eyes on me, Sharpshooter. Just for a few more seconds.” Keith coaxed softly, kissing his cheek.  _

_ Lance nodded, “Sorry. M’ tired.” He mumbled. _

_ “I know. Just keep your eyes on me.” Keith said. Once he was done, he dried off his face, and Lance pulled him out of the bathroom and toward the bed, pulling him with him. Lance wrapped an arm around Keith’s back as Keith shifted his head, placing it onto Lance’s chest.  _ Around a few hours later, Lance stirred, slowly coming to. A soft breath came out of him as he vaguely reached up to rub his eyes, blinking them open. As his vision cleared, he craned his head and saw Keith still in a deep sleep on top of him, his head resting in the crook of his neck. Lance softened, glad to see his mate looking at peace when he had been so stressed hours earlier. He gently ran his fingers over his broad back and then through his hair, gently scratching the back of his head. Keith’s physical reaction is instant, arching slightly before nuzzling into him more, a soft purr rumbling from him. Basically telling Lance to keep doing that. It was a sort of new motion. Lance had first done it during their vacation in Cuba, the day after they had gone to a parade. Lance had done the same thing, scratching at the back of his head, and it sort of startled Keith awake. 

Lance instantly had stopped, thinking he had somehow hurt him, but Keith quickly had assured him it was fine, and that the gentle scratching felt nice.

So since then, Lance had been making the new motion a regular thing, since Keith was liking it. He moved his fingers up, this time gently scratching at Keith’s scalp. Keith unconsciously pressed for more, his purring growing louder. Lance leaned in and gently kissed his head, “Hey. Keith. Red.” He whispered softly. Keith made a noise, and his grip on Lance tightened, a clear sign that he was saying “go back to sleep”. But Lance continued to gently coax him, planting kisses on his head. “C’mon, babe. Wake up.” He gently nudged him. Keith huffed, “We don’t leave until night, Blue.” He mumbled sleepily. Lance softly laughed, “We aren’t in Cuba anymore,  _ cariño. _ C’mon, wake up. We’ve got things to do.” He said softly. They had washed off the extra paint on their faces before they had fallen asleep, and Lance was kinda missing the downward line of blue paint on Keith’s forehead. He liked how it had more boldly stated that he was Keith’s mate. 

   Just like how he liked that his own had stated that Keith’s was his. He reached out and brushed Keith’s bangs away from his forehead, only to realize that the gentle touch was lulling Keith back to sleep while pressing for more, his purring growing quiet again. Lance quickly pulled away, and Keith instantly mumbled in protest, the quick movement having jolting him awake. “Sorry, babe. Didn’t mean to wake you like that.” Lance softly apologized as he gently ran his fingers through Keith’s hair. Keith shifted his head, rubbing his eyes, “Mmm, s’fine.” He mumbled quietly. He then lifted his head and rested his chin on his chest, those dazzling, but tired purple eyes locking on his. “Hey sweetheart.” Lance said softly, reaching out and brushing his cheek. “Hey.” Keith whispered. “You know, I wish to God that Lotor didn’t return so we could just go back to sleep, but fate decided to have other plans.” Lance said. It made Keith softly chuckle as he pressed into Lance’s touch for more, his purring starting up again.

Lance leaned in and kissed his forehead, “Kinda makes me wish we were back in Cuba.” He murmured softly.

“Wouldn’t have stayed there long anyway.” Keith mumbled. Lance laughed softly, mainly because it was a part of a little inside joke they had made up. Pidge’s voice suddenly blared over the comms, startling them both. “Keith, Lance, get to the lounge. You guys should come see this.” And then it ended. “Jesus.” Lance muttered. Keith pulled away from Lance and sat up, leaving Lance feeling cold and wanting the warmth of his fiery mate. He softly whined in protest, but it was halfway lost. “We should go see what’s up.” Keith said, smoothing his hair before getting off the bed and standing. Lance also sat up and got off the bed, stretching his arms. “This better be important, or else I’m going to tackle her for scaring me out of my skin.” He said. “I didn’t expect her to wake up before us.” Keith said as he tied up his hair. He then held his hand out, “Come on.” He said.

   Lance took his hand, smiling at him. “I haven’t seen you with your hair tied up since we had to wear disguises in Cuba.” He said as they walked out of the room and down the halls. “It worked, I’ll admit.” Keith said. In the lounge, Hunk was with Pidge, standing in front of a pile of thermal panels. Allura was also walking in from another door. “What is going on?” She asked. “Well, Hunk and I finished up the last few panels, and we suddenly thought of an idea.” Pidge said as she put down one of the panels, turning to face the three. “It’ll take way too long for us to take all these panels and distribute them to all of the Voltron Coalition on our own. But then Hunk remembered that we have self-automated pods, and he gave me the idea that we should split it up. The pods get half of the stash, and we get the other. Each person gets… let’s say...40 panels.” She said. 

“So we’re being put in charge of different sectors, then?” Lance asked. 

Pidge smiled, “Exactly. I thought of it as this: we can either split up, all 5 of us, or we divide into teams of three and two. I say we should go in groups, considering that Lotor’s out there. . So that means you, Keith and Lance, and Hunk, Allura, and I.” She said. Keith looked at Lance, who looked back and winked at him, making him smile. “I was able to divide the Coalition into four sectors. Both groups get two. These are big sectors, and each one should take roughly about 3 and a half  _ vargas  _ to do. The pods cut our planets down by half. When we get into our Lions, I’ll send everyone a list of the planets they need to distribute a panel to. We may or may not still have to separate, but it wouldn’t be for long. It only takes a few seconds to distribute the panel within a planet’s atmosphere, as long as you’re mindful of the planet’s gravitational pull.” Pidge said. “All right, then. Let’s head out.” Keith spoke up. Once he got his pile of panels into Black, watching Lance do the same, they headed out. 

  “Pidge, has your scanner picked up Lotor’s ship anywhere from your alarms?” He suddenly asked. “Actually, yes. At random planets, in rapid succession. I think he may or may not know about the alarms, I’m not sure.” Pidge spoke through his comms. “Sounds like he’s hiding like the coward he is by using the Quintessence field.” Keith heard Lance’s voice, sounding angry. “That would make sense.” Keith said. “If we come across him, let me have the first hit. I want to get revenge for him holding a knife on your neck.” Lance said lowly. “Don’t worry. We’ll get him together. All of us.” Keith assured. He heard Lance mutter under his breath, and could quite literally feel the boiling fury emanating from him. “Lance.” He said gently. “I hate him, Keith. I quiznacking hate him. I want revenge. I want him gone,  _ forever.”  _ Lance said. 

And Keith returned the fire. 

“So do I. He shot you. He nearly killed you. I want him dead too.” He said. The reminder of it made him want to turn Galra and rip through Lotor. They went on with distributing the thermal panels, at least until something hit Keith, sending him flying. “Keith!” He heard Lance cry. He quickly stabilized Red as Lance flew Blue to him, his frantic face coming up on screen. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He asked. “I’m fine. I just-something hit me.” Keith assured, looking around. “But there’s nothing here. What the hell would hit you?” Lance said, confused. “I don’t-ah!” Keith began, only to get hit again, this time getting thrown into the side of the cockpit. He heard Lance loudly curse, as well as growl, feeling Red stabilize again. Lance must be supporting him. Keith saw the red screens as he stood up, sitting back in his chair. “Lance, are you seeing this?” He asked. “Lotor. He’s here.” Lance said knowingly. 

   And sure enough, the Sincline ship revealed itself. Keith darkly growled, hearing Lance do the same. “Hello, old comrades.” Lotor’s silky voice came in over the comms. “ _ Lotor. How nice of you to show up.”  _ Lance’s voice was full of venom. “Ah, but see,  _ you  _ are the guests. I knew you were trying to find me.” Lotor purred. Keith opened his comms, “Guys, Lotor’s here at Olkarion. Get over here.” He said. “We’re on our way, Keith.” Allura’s voice came in. “Yes. Bring your teammates. I think it’s time to end this, shall we?” Lotor said. “What did you think you were going to do, Lotor? That you’d be able to succeed with whatever plans you had? You should just surrender now. You know you have no chance against us. We’re stronger. Smarter. We won’t leave you for dead again.” Lance said. “How bold. I assume that’s the Blue Paladin speaking? How about you let me talk to your leader instead?” Lotor said. “I  _ am  _ the leader. The co-leader.” Lance hissed, and Keith felt so much pride even though he’d wanted to snarl at the Prince for talking to his mate that way. 

“I see. Suddenly Voltron has 2 leaders? I have never seen that before.” Lotor said, sounding intrigued. 

Keith saw the others coming up behind him and smirked, “Well now’s your chance to see it.” He said. He then pulled Black back, “Everyone, on me! Form Voltron!” He shouted. Within an instant, the legendary defender stood before Lotor’s ship. Lance struck his bayard into the portal, activating the sword. Keith heard Lotor chuckle, “My, my, have I been waiting to see you and take your rich Quintessence.” He purred. Keith could feel an energy run through his connection with his team, more so with Lance. “Well then, come and get it!” Keith challenged Lotor before Voltron moved forward, sword ready to strike. They were engaged in their most difficult battle yet, almost identical to the one they had with Zarkon a long time ago. Keith shouted orders for his teammates, with Lance dropping some every while or so. Keith growled darkly when Lotor dodged a strike from the sword, and then another before flying off. Voltron turned, facing the Sincline ship again. 

   “Stop running off and face us like the betrayer you are,  _ coward.”  _ Keith hissed. Lotor laughed, “Running off? Where am I running off to?” He asked. Keith stayed quiet, and then began to focus on his bond with the others. “It’s time. Pidge, Hunk, my friends.” He reached for them, mentally grabbing on. “Allura, my companion.” He felt her grab on. Keith’s voice dropped, “Lance. My mate.” He reached for him, and felt strength course through his veins when Lance grabbed on. “We only have one shot at this. Just like last time, we use Voltron’s Quintessence to hit Lotor. We use  _ our  _ Quintessence. We just need one shot. And then he’s done for. Are you with me?” He said. “Forever and always, Samurai.” He heard Lance’s voice, and warmth consumed him. The others agreed. “Then let’s do this.” Keith said. Lotor was about to fire a charged shot at Voltron. “For my mate.” Keith whispered. “For  _ my  _ mate.” He heard Lance’s whisper in his helmet. And Voltron fired its Quintessence at Lotor, mixing in with the Paladins’. 

What happened next could have never been foreseen. 

  
Cracks ripped through Lotor’s ship, exposing all the raw Quintessence. Exhausted from the drain of Quintessence, especially his own, Keith lifted his head, seeing what was happening. He gasped, his eyes widening, “ _ Everyone, disband now!!”  _ He shouted fiercely. But then the world went white as Lotor’s ship exploded, and Voltron was viciously torn apart. The force of the blast was enough to knock everyone out. Keith and Lance hurtled toward Olkarion, their Lion’s systems malfunctioning and shutting off. The two are then unintentionally ejected, falling 10 stories high into a large river. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope you guys enjoyed this sequel! I’m actually currently working on my third book following the end of The Red paladins, called The Paladins of Purple. If you guys want me to start posting it even though it’s only 9 chapters so far, I’ll go ahead and do so. Updates will be a bit slower since it usually takes me a day to finish a chapter.


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